The Food and Drug Administration has missed its own deadline to propose a ban on the use of formaldehyde as an ingredient in hair relaxers and hair straighteners on the market in the United States.
The federal agency proposed the ban in October 2023 and scheduled its implementation for April 2024. The FDA's proposed rule takes a large step in raising awareness about the potential harm that formaldehyde — a highly toxic gas — can cause to the many Black women who typically use straightening products.
