By Harshit
WASHINGTON, JANUARY 6, 2026 —
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has missed its most recent deadline to propose a ban on formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in hair-straightening products, prolonging regulatory uncertainty around substances that scientists say are linked to cancer and other serious health risks—particularly for Black women and salon workers.
According to regulatory tracking documents, the FDA had set December 31, 2025, as the latest action date for releasing a proposed rule restricting the use of formaldehyde in hair-smoothing and hair-straightening products. That date has now passed without formal action.
In a statement emailed this week, an FDA spokesperson said the proposal remains under development.
“FDA’s proposed rule, ‘Use of Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde-Releasing Chemicals as an Ingredient in Hair Smoothing Products or Hair Straightening Products,’ continues to remain a priority for the agency,” the spokesperson said. “FDA may adjust the anticipated publication date of this and other proposed rules when appropriate.”
The agency added that updates would be reflected in its Unified Agenda, which is typically revised twice a year.
Years of Delays, No Enforcement Consequences
The missed deadline marks the latest in a series of postponements stretching back more than two years. The FDA’s original target for the proposal was October 2023. That date was later shifted repeatedly—to April 2024, November 2024, March 2025, July 2025, and finally December 31, 2025—without the rule ever being published.
“This timeline has been pushed back again and again,” said David Andrews, acting chief science officer at the Environmental Working Group. “Every delay directly puts at risk the health of salon workers and consumers, particularly Black women, who are disproportionately exposed to harmful chemicals in personal care products.”
Because the FDA’s target dates are not legally binding, there are no formal penalties for missing them. Whether the rule will ultimately be proposed remains unclear.
A Known Carcinogen Still on the Market
Formaldehyde is classified as a known human carcinogen and has long been associated with respiratory irritation, skin sensitization, asthma, and elevated cancer risk. In hair-straightening products, the chemical is often released when treatments are heated during use, increasing the likelihood of inhalation exposure in salons.
In 2021, salon workers partnered with advocacy organizations, including the Environmental Working Group and Women’s Voices for the Earth, to petition the FDA to prohibit formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing ingredients such as methylene glycol in hair-smoothing products.
Under the Biden administration, the FDA signaled it was considering such a ban, citing concerns about cancer risk and disproportionate exposure among Black women. However, no regulatory action was finalized before the administration ended, and the proposal has continued to stall into the second Trump administration.
Disproportionate Impact on Black Women
Health experts say the regulatory delay has equity implications. Chemical hair relaxers and straighteners are heavily marketed to Black women, many of whom begin using the products in childhood and continue for decades.
“Several epidemiologic studies, including work conducted by my colleagues and myself, have raised concerns about associations between frequent use of chemical hair straighteners and increased risks of uterine fibroids, infertility, and hormone-related cancers,” said Lauren Wise, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health.
Wise recently led a 2025 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology examining hair relaxer use and uterine fibroid development. The research found stronger associations between fibroid incidence and the use of temporary hair relaxers—products suspected to contain higher levels of formaldehyde-releasing chemicals—compared with permanent relaxers.
Fibroids, while typically noncancerous, can cause chronic pain, heavy bleeding, anemia, infertility, and pregnancy complications. Black women are up to three times more likely than White women to be diagnosed with the condition.
“There is no safe level of exposure in consumer products that are heated and inhaled, particularly in occupational settings such as hair salons,” Wise said.
What Happens Next
To advance the rule, the FDA would need to formally publish the proposal in the Federal Register, opening a public comment period. After reviewing feedback, the agency could finalize, modify, or withdraw the rule entirely.
While the Trump administration has listed “harmful chemical exposures” among the priorities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, critics say those statements have yet to translate into action on cosmetics regulation.
“Every day these products remain on the market undermines public confidence in the FDA’s ability to safeguard health,” Andrews said. “After more than a decade of scientific warnings, the risk to public health is simply too great to delay further.”
A Regulatory Test Case
The stalled proposal highlights broader challenges facing U.S. cosmetics regulation, an area where federal oversight has historically lagged behind scientific evidence. For salon workers and consumers, particularly Black women, the absence of clear federal standards means continued exposure to substances that researchers say pose avoidable risks.
As 2026 begins, the question is no longer whether formaldehyde is dangerous—but whether regulators will act before years of warnings turn into another missed opportunity for prevention.