Study Finds Cancer-Causing Chemical in Everyday Beauty Products Used by Women
More than half of Black and Latina women in Los Angeles who participated in a recent study were found to regularly use personal-care products containing formaldehyde — a chemical officially classified as a human carcinogen.
The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, had 64 participants photograph ingredient labels of every beauty and hygiene product they used over one week.
Widespread Exposure to Toxic Chemicals
Researchers found that 53% of the women used products such as soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, skin lighteners, eyeliner, and eyelash glue that contained formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.
“It’s really concerning that we’re intentionally adding carcinogens to products we use daily,” said Robin Dodson, lead author and research director at Silent Spring Institute. “Formaldehyde is a great preservative — that’s why it’s used in embalming fluid. But it’s also a carcinogen.”
More Than Just Hair Straighteners
One participant used three formaldehyde-containing items daily: a leave-in conditioner, a rinse-out conditioner, and a body wash. Another used hand soap with formaldehyde-releasing agents twice a day.
In total, the 64 women used 1,143 products over seven days, averaging 17 different products per day — with some using up to 43.
Beauty Pressures and Health Inequities
Dr. Tracey Woodruff of UCSF, who was not involved in the study, noted, “It speaks to the pressure women feel to look a certain way.”
Co-author Janette Robinson Flint of Black Women for Wellness added that Black women often feel compelled to conform to white beauty standards. “We shouldn’t have to be chemists to protect our health,” she said.
Previous studies have suggested a link between chemical hair straighteners and higher rates of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer among Black women. Despite this, the FDA has yet to finalize a proposed ban on formaldehyde in hair straighteners, introduced in 2023.
Hidden Ingredients and Regulatory Inaction
Formaldehyde may appear under unfamiliar names like DMDM hydantoin, making it hard for consumers to identify. These ingredients aren’t always labeled as formaldehyde.
While the European Union banned formaldehyde in cosmetics back in 2009, the U.S. has yet to enforce a nationwide ban. However, 12 states, including California and Washington, have proposed or enacted regulations.
Data from California’s Safe Cosmetics Program shows a tenfold drop in products with formaldehyde from 2009 to 2022 — suggesting regulation can make a difference.
What Now?
“In the short term, consumers should try to read labels,” said Dodson. “But in the long term, we need regulatory solutions. This must come down to ingredient bans — likely at the state level.”