Formaldehyde Found in Range of Personal Care Products Used Primarily by Black and Latina Women

Deceptive labeling practices leave many consumers unaware that these products contain formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing ingredients.

A new study warns that more than half of Black and Latina women regularly use lotion, shampoo and other personal care products that contain toxic formaldehyde, although the ingredient is often labeled under different chemical names.

According to findings published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters on May 7, this tactic of renaming ingredients containing formaldehyde makes it difficult for consumers to know that certain products contain the carcinogen, preventing them from being aware of potential risks. 

Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are known to cause cancer and have been linked to other health concerns as well. Research published by the American Academy of Neurology has linked formaldehyde exposure to cognitive impairment, memory loss and lower IQ scores, while other studies have drawn strong connections between long-term exposure and various forms of cancer including breast, neck and reproductive cancers, as well as death.

In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined formaldehyde presents an unreasonable risk to humans, especially those living and working near facilities that emit formaldehyde.

In recent years, high concentrations of formaldehyde and other toxic ingredients have been found in hair straightening treatments and chemical relaxers, particularly those marketed to Black women. As a result, many popular hair relaxer manufacturers now face thousands of hair relaxer lawsuits filed primarily by Black women who claim their years of exposure to these products caused them to develop uterine, ovarian and endometrial cancers.

Since the chemicals are widely used in other products, researchers from Silent Spring Institute set out to determine the prevalence of formaldehyde in personal care products used by the public, especially among Black and Latina women.

The research team, led by Dr. Robin Dodson, analyzed data from the Taking Stock Study, a community-engaged study of 70 Black and Latina women in South Los Angeles. Participants logged their personal care product use using a smartphone app. The app used the EPA’s Chemical and Products Database (CPDat), a public ingredient database, to compare photos participants took of product labels with the database ingredients.

More than half of the participants, 53% overall, reported using at least one product that contained formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasing products.

Most of the formaldehyde releasing products were labeled as 1,3-dimethylol-5,-dimethylhydantoin (DMDM) hydantoin, an ingredient most participants wouldn’t recognize as formaldehyde or recognize as posing a risk to their health.

The data indicated 47% of skincare products contained formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing preservatives, while nearly 60% of hair products like shampoo and conditioner contained the carcinogen.

Researchers said the results highlight the need for further regulations on these ingredients to help protect the U.S. population from side effects and health risks from formaldehyde exposure in daily care products. Many women use up to 20 different personal care products on their body every single day. If more than half contain formaldehyde, American women are exposed to large amounts of chemicals every day, researchers warned.