(NewsNation) — More than 3,000 beauty products marketed toward Black women contained at least one moderately hazardous chemical, a new analysis found.
The chemicals in those products could contribute to health issues like uterine and breast cancers, a previous study concluded.
Among the chemicals found was formaldehyde, which is commonly used as an embalming fluid but is also added to hair straighteners popular with Black women.
The FDA proposed a ban on the use of formaldehyde hair straighteners in 2023.
U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Shontel Brown of Ohio asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate health risks associated with chemical hair straighteners, pointing to a 2022 study done by the National Institutes of Health showing a link between using hair straighteners and a higher risk of uterine cancer.
The Environmental Working Group compared hair product ingredient lists with its database that assesses the health risks of thousands of chemicals and ranks them as low, moderate or high hazard.
EWG made a database of more than 120,000 personal care products with all the ingredients they contain and with links to where they can be bought to keep consumers safe.
