Warning Issued Over Formaldehyde in Personal Care Products

An urgent alert has been raised about a carcinogen, formaldehyde, found in numerous personal care items used by millions of women.

While there’s been long-standing concern regarding this chemical in hair-straightening treatments, a recent study has revealed its presence in a broader range of products, such as shampoos, lotions, body washes, and even eyelash glue.

Formaldehyde can gradually escape from these products as gas, particularly when heated, and may be inhaled. This exposure can lead to symptoms like eye and respiratory irritation and potentially severe health risks, including an increased chance of head and neck cancers with repeated exposure.

The risk is even greater in poorly ventilated spaces, like bathrooms or bedrooms.

The American Cancer Society indicates that formaldehyde has been associated with various cancers in both animals and humans, including those affecting the nose, upper throat, and stomach, as well as increasing the risk of leukemia.

A study conducted by the Silent Spring Institute, focused on uncovering environmental links to breast cancer, involved 70 Black women and Latinas in the Los Angeles area, who tracked their personal care product usage over five to seven days.

Participants recorded their usage through a smartphone app created by Silent Spring, which also asked them to photograph ingredient labels.

The research team analyzed over 1,100 products for formaldehyde and preservatives that release it over time.

About 53% of participants used at least one product containing formaldehyde releasers, with many reporting daily or frequent application of these items.

The researchers did not specify which products were tested, though DMDM hydantoin emerged as the most commonly found formaldehyde-releasing preservative. Notably, approximately 47% of skincare products and 58% of hair care products containing these preservatives listed DMDM hydantoin.

Additional substances were identified, but Dr. Robin Dodson, an exposure scientist, mentioned that their findings are not exhaustive. “Those are just the ones we knew to look for. There could be more that we’re not aware of,” she said.

Formaldehyde is added to personal care items primarily to prolong shelf life, with formaldehyde-releasing preservatives serving a similar purpose.

Given formaldehyde’s known carcinogenic properties, the study’s authors highlighted significant regulatory lapses in personal care product safety in the US and the disproportionate health effects on women of color, as many of the affected products are targeted at Black and Latina women.

Dr. Dodson remarked, “This isn’t just about hair straighteners. These chemicals are present in products we use daily across our bodies.” The cumulative effect of repeated exposure, she warned, can lead to serious health consequences.

To minimize exposure, she suggested that companies should be required to include warning labels on formaldehyde-releasing products, similar to regulations in Europe. She acknowledged the challenge consumers face in identifying these preservatives, as they often have complex names and rarely mention formaldehyde.

While warning labels could be a step in the right direction, Dodson advocates for a complete ban on formaldehyde releasers. “Ideally, companies shouldn’t be putting these chemicals in products in the first place,” she stated.

Researchers also encouraged consumers to support better regulatory measures. The European Union and at least ten US states have moved to ban formaldehyde and its releasers in personal care products.

This year, the FDA proposed a nationwide ban on formaldehyde in hair straighteners, though action has yet to be taken.

The study is part of a larger initiative called the Taking Stock Study, a collaborative research effort between Occidental College, Black Women for Wellness, Silent Spring, and Columbia University, focusing on the effects of chemical exposures in beauty products on health disparities affecting Black women and Latinas in California.

Janette Robinson Flint, director at Black Women for Wellness, noted that Black consumers often conform to societal beauty standards influenced by White ideals. Yet, while they may try to avoid products with formaldehyde listed, many are unaware of formaldehyde releasers.

“We’re trying to do the right thing,” Flint observed. “But there needs to be more government oversight. We shouldn’t have to be chemists to figure out which products are harmful.”