According to a recent study, formaldehyde, a recognized carcinogen, is present in an alarmingly high percentage of personal care items. Despite being connected to cancer, this chemical is frequently added to body soap, shampoo, lotions, eyelash glue, and preservatives that release it to extend the shelf life of these items.
 
More than half of Latina and Black women use personal care products that contain formaldehyde-releasing compounds, according to a recent study published in Environmental Science & Toxicology Letters.  This study emphasizes how concerning it is that chemicals that cause cancer can be found in cosmetics other than hair straighteners.

What did the study find?
Concerning results on the personal care items used by 70 Black and Latina women in Los Angeles were found in the study.  Participants uploaded pictures of ingredient labels using a specialized app, and the findings revealed that 53% of them had used at least one product with formaldehyde-releasing compounds, many of which they used regularly or frequently.  The carcinogen was detected in a variety of shampoos, lotions, body soaps, and eyelash glues, as well as in 58% of the haircare items evaluated. 

The study, which was published in the peer-reviewed Environmental Science & technology Letters, draws attention to the alarming amounts of formaldehyde and preservatives that release formaldehyde found in cosmetics sold to these groups.  These chemicals are known to cause cancer, which poses serious health risks.
 
Formaldehyde has previously been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as having a "unreasonable risk of injury to human health."  This most recent study expands the scope of previous research by identifying formaldehyde in a broader range of personal care items, whereas earlier studies concentrated on its presence in hair straightening treatments, which disproportionately harm Black women and women of color.  

What do health experts recommend?
"These chemicals are in products we use all the time, all over our bodies," said research main author Dr. Robin Dodson, who voiced grave concerns about the health dangers.  These kinds of exposures over time can accumulate and have major negative effects.  She also emphasized how hard it is for customers to recognize products that contain formaldehyde because many preservatives are classified under complicated titles that don't specifically include the word "formaldehyde."  DMDM hydantoin is one such preservative to be wary of. 

Although formaldehyde has been banned in a number of U.S. states and the european union, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a national ban in 2023, but no real action has been made as of yet.  As Dr. Dodson puts it, "Ideally, companies shouldn't be putting these chemicals in products in the first place." He calls for a more holistic approach.
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SIBY JEYYA

12/05/2025 09:53 AM