Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, and the preservatives that release it are quietly present in many personal care products used daily by women of color. Despite growing awareness about toxic ingredients, these chemicals remain widespread in hair relaxers, lotions, soaps, and shampoos—particularly in products marketed to Black and Latina women.
Key Highlights:
- A recent small-scale survey of Black and Latina women revealed that over 50% regularly use beauty and personal care items containing formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. These substances have been associated with serious health risks, including uterine cancer.
- Avoiding formaldehyde can be challenging, as it often appears under unfamiliar names on ingredient lists, making it hard for consumers to identify.
- To reduce potential exposure, experts suggest simplifying your beauty regimen and taking extra care when selecting everyday products by thoroughly checking labels and opting for safer alternatives.
Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives have long been used in the beauty and personal care industry, but a new study underscores just how prevalent and problematic these chemicals may be—particularly for women of color. A small-scale study conducted in Los Angeles found that more than half of Black and Latina women regularly use personal care products that contain formaldehyde or chemicals that release it over time. These chemicals have been linked to a host of health issues, including a significantly elevated risk of uterine cancer. The findings, published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, raise critical questions about the safety of commonly used beauty products and the disproportionate impact of chemical exposure on marginalized communities.
High Exposure from Everyday Products
The study tracked 70 Black and Latina women, asking them to log their personal care product use for one week and photograph product labels for ingredient analysis. Researchers found that 53% of these women used products that either contained formaldehyde directly or included preservatives known to release the chemical. These were not rare, niche items but everyday products such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, eyeliner, eyelash glue, and even skin lighteners.
Robin Dodson, ScD, lead author and exposure scientist at the Silent Spring Institute, emphasized that the exposure was more pervasive than previously believed. “We found that this isn’t just about hair straighteners,” she said. “These chemicals are in products we use all the time, all over our bodies. Repeated exposures like these can add up and cause serious harm.”
Tracking Chemicals with Technology
Participants in the study used a smartphone app developed by the Silent Spring Institute to document their product use. This app prompted users to take photos of the ingredient labels, which were then analyzed using optical character recognition (OCR) technology. Researchers scanned for formaldehyde and its releasing agents—chemicals that do not list formaldehyde outright but break down to produce it over time.
One such agent, DMDM hydantoin, was especially common. The study found that 47% of skincare products and 58% of hair products containing formaldehyde-releasing preservatives included DMDM hydantoin. This chemical is often used to prevent microbial growth, thereby prolonging shelf life—but at a potential cost to human health.
Debate Over Safety and Industry Pushback
While the study does not establish a direct causal link between these chemicals and cancer, the pattern of concern is growing. Formaldehyde is classified as a human carcinogen by multiple health organizations, including the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Yet, industry representatives continue to defend its use.
“Formaldehyde-releasing agents have been used for many decades as a well-studied product preservative method, resin, and antistatic/smoothing agent that are internationally recognized as safe,” said Tesia Williams, a spokesperson for the Personal Care Products Council. “They are used to preserve product integrity and are widely considered safe and effective in protecting consumer personal care products against a broad spectrum of microbial contamination.”
However, scientists warn that even low-level exposures can become hazardous when they occur repeatedly, especially through leave-on products like hair relaxers that sit on the skin for extended periods. Sharon Horesh Bergquist, MD, an associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine, cautioned, “While a single exposure may pose minimal risk, repeated or layered exposure from multiple products increases the potential health concern.”
Cumulative Exposure and Disparities
Hair relaxers have been a major focus in recent years due to their chemical content and frequent use in communities of color. A study involving over 44,000 Black women found that regular use of hair relaxers over a 20-year period was associated with a 71% increased risk of uterine cancer. This statistic is especially concerning because Black women are already disproportionately affected by this type of cancer.
Dr. Bergquist noted, “Black and Latina women may face higher cumulative exposure, particularly from leave-on products like hair relaxers that are used more frequently and remain on the skin or scalp for extended periods.” The concern is not just theoretical; it reflects real disparities in health outcomes tied to long-term product use and industry marketing practices.
Beyond Cancer: A Range of Health Risks
While cancer is a major concern, it is not the only health risk linked to formaldehyde. According to Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, director of the program on reproductive health and the environment at the University of California, San Francisco, the chemical can exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma, provoke allergic reactions, and potentially impact reproductive health. “Formaldehyde is known to increase many health risks beyond cancer,” she explained. “It can aggravate asthma, trigger allergic responses, and raise concerns for reproductive effects as well.”
Cultural Pressures and Beauty Norms
The issue is further complicated by societal beauty standards. Janette Robinson Flint, executive director of the Los Angeles–based nonprofit Black Women for Wellness, points out that many Black consumers use a wide range of personal care products in an effort to conform to white-centric beauty ideals. “We shouldn’t have to be chemists to figure out what kinds of products will make us sick,” she said.
This speaks to a broader issue of accessibility and awareness. Even when women are aware that formaldehyde is harmful, avoiding it isn’t easy. Many toxic ingredients are listed under unfamiliar or scientific names, making it difficult for the average consumer to make informed choices.
The Hidden Names of Formaldehyde
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), formaldehyde can appear under various names on product labels, including:
- Formalin
- Methanal
- Methyl aldehyde
- Methylene glycol
- Methylene oxide
In addition, preservatives that release formaldehyde over time are also labeled differently. These include:
- DMDM hydantoin
- Imidazolidinyl urea
- Diazolidinyl urea
- Quaternium-15
- 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane
- Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
- Benzylhemiformal
- 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
Dr. Bergquist suggests that one of the most effective ways to reduce exposure is to streamline beauty routines. “Use fewer products overall,” she advised, “and be especially mindful of the ingredients in those used frequently or daily.”
A Call for Transparency and Regulation
The findings from this study reinforce calls for stronger regulations and clearer labeling in the personal care industry. While some countries have banned or heavily restricted the use of formaldehyde and its derivatives in cosmetics, the U.S. has not taken the same steps. This regulatory gap leaves many consumers unaware of the risks they face from products they use daily.
Until more stringent oversight is in place, public health experts recommend that consumers take a cautious approach—focusing on simplifying routines, learning to recognize potentially harmful ingredients, and advocating for greater transparency in product labeling. The burden should not fall on individuals to decode complex chemical names, particularly when the consequences of repeated exposure may include long-term health risks that disproportionately affect already vulnerable populations.
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