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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has missed yet another deadline to propose banning formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals from hair-straightening products, a delay that disproportionately affects Black women, per CNN.
The proposed rule, which targets chemicals commonly used in hair relaxers and smoothing treatments, had an action date of Wednesday (December 31). However, as of Tuesday (January 6), no proposal has been released.
In a statement, an FDA spokesperson said the rule “continues to remain a priority for the Agency,” adding that updates would appear in the FDA’s Unified Agenda, which is typically updated twice a year.
The delay marks the latest in a series of missed deadlines. The FDA initially set an October 2023 target to propose the ban, later pushing it back to April 2024, November 2024, March 2025, July 2025, and finally December 2025.
According to health experts, formaldehyde is a well-established carcinogen and is linked to respiratory problems, skin irritation, and asthma. Research has also increasingly linked hair-straightening products to higher risks of uterine, ovarian, and breast cancers, as well as uterine fibroids. The chemical and its derivatives are often released when hair-straightening products are heated, exposing salon workers and consumers.
“These repeated delays put people at risk every day,” David Andrews, acting chief science officer at the Environmental Working Group, said in a statement.
Andrews noted that Black women are disproportionately exposed because such products are heavily marketed to them and often used from a young age.
The FDA first started considering a ban after salon workers and advocacy groups filed a citizen petition in 2021. While the Biden administration signaled support for action, no rule was finalized before the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, during which the agency has continued to postpone the proposal.
Because the deadline is not legally mandated, the FDA faces no formal penalty for missing it. Still, lawmakers, including Reps. Shontel Brown, Ayanna Pressley, and Nydia Velázquez are urging the agency to act.
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