A study has revealed that more than half of Black and Latina women in Los Angeles regularly use personal-care products known to contain carcinogens. This alarming finding was based on a small group of participants who documented all beauty products they used over a week, as published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Out of 64 women in the study, 53% noted that they utilized various products—including soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioners, skin lighteners, eyeliner, and eyelash glue—that contained formaldehyde and other preservatives known to release formaldehyde. These chemicals have been linked to cancer in humans.
“It’s really concerning that we are intentionally putting chemicals that release a carcinogen into our products that we apply to ourselves every day,” stated Robin Dodson, the study’s lead author and research director at Silent Spring Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on the environmental causes of breast cancer. She mentioned that while formaldehyde is effective as a preservative, it is crucial to remember its carcinogenic properties.
The research highlighted a notable presence of formaldehyde-releasing preservatives across numerous beauty products. The study primarily focused on Black and Latina women, given that earlier research suggested they are more exposed to formaldehyde in hair and nail products compared to their white counterparts. Concerns have been raised about the potential link between the frequent use of chemical hair straighteners by African American women and increased rates of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers among them.
Despite a federal agency classifying formaldehyde as a human carcinogen over a decade ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to ban its use in hair straighteners, a proposal initially set for discussion in 2023. The lack of action from the FDA remains a point of frustration, especially as formaldehyde is found not just in hair products, but in many beauty items, some of which are used far more frequently.
One participant in the study reported using three different products containing formaldehyde, while another used hand soap with formaldehyde-based ingredients two times a day. In total, participants used 1,143 products over the course of a week, averaging 17 different items daily, with usage ranging from five to 43 products per day. This reflects the pressures many women, particularly Black women, face to conform to prevailing beauty standards.
Study co-author Janette Robinson Flint of Black Women for Wellness emphasized the need for clearer regulations regarding personal-care products, expressing that consumers should not have to act as chemists to understand the safety of what they apply on their bodies. Woodruff agreed, stating that societal norms focusing on white beauty standards lead to healthier risks among marginalized groups.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that while formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and can also cause skin irritations when inhaled, the chemical does not have to be explicitly stated on product labels. Instead, it appears under various chemical names like DMDM hydantoin, which may not be easily recognized by consumers.
Since the European Union banned formaldehyde as a cosmetic ingredient in 2009, several U.S. states are beginning to implement regulations as well. Reports show a significant decrease in products containing formaldehyde in California, yet the effectiveness of current laws remains in question. Dodson urged consumers to be vigilant about reading product labels while advocating for stricter ingredient bans at the state level.
