Cancer-causing chemicals lurk in many personal care products, study finds

What you probably already know: A wide range of personal care products available in the U.S. contain dangerous chemicals that many other countries have banned. Phthalates and parabens are known hormone disrupters that can negatively impact reproductive health; still, they’re widely found in skincare and hair products. Some cosmetics contain heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic. Many soaps, lotions, shampoos, eyeliners, and other items contain cancer-causing toxins, and a large number of women are likely being exposed to them.

Why? A new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters asked 70 Black and Latina women in Los Angeles to photograph the ingredient lists of all the products they used in one week. More than half (53%) of the respondents used soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, skin lightener, eyeliner, eyelash glue, and other beauty products that contained formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRPs). The study focused on Black and Latina participants because past studies have shown these groups are disproportionately exposed to formaldehyde and FRPs in personal care products.

What it means: Formaldehyde is a powerful disinfectant and preservative used in embalming fluids, building materials, and household products like glues and permanent press fabrics. In personal care products, formaldehyde and FRPs prevent microbial growth and prolong shelf life. They also sometimes appear in chemical hair straighteners, which are widely used within the Black community, possibly explaining why certain cancers kill more Black women than white women. Research also shows that formaldehyde and FRPs can cause rashes or respiratory illness in some people. No one knows exactly how prevalent these toxins are in personal care products: a 2022 study looked at 546 products and found that 13% included FRPs as listed ingredients (most were hair and skin products). But labels can be confusing for the average consumer, because FRPs are listed by their chemical names like “DMDM hydantoin,” which is short for “1,3-dimethylol-5,5-dimethylhydantoin.” Still, stringent label-checking may not be enough, because scientists have found formaldehyde lurking in products not labeled with FRPs.

What happens now? Cosmetics containing formaldehyde and FRPs are banned in Europe. Several states, including California and Washington, have passed bans or are considering regulatory legislation, but federal action is moving at a glacial pace. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is evaluating formaldehyde under the Toxic Substances Control Act, but draft findings state that it “poses unreasonable risk to human health.” The Food and Drug Administration considered proposing a ban on hair products that contain or emit formaldehyde in 2023 (more than a decade after federal scientists labeled the chemical a human carcinogen), but has failed to move forward.