The US Food and Drug Administration is planning to propose a ban on certain hair-straightening products, such as chemical relaxers and pressing products, that have been linked to health risks, according to an entry in the Unified Agenda, which lists actions that administrative agencies plan to issue.
The agency plans a proposed rule that would specifically ban hair-straightening products that contain formaldehyde and other formaldehyde-releasing chemicals like methylene or glycol.
If such a proposed rule is issued, the FDA will receive public comments on it, and after reviewing those comments, the agency will decide whether further action is needed, spokesperson Courtney Rhodes said Friday.
It’s about goddamn time. In case anyone is unaware, the process of hair straightening involves, in essence, decomposing your hair with a powerful base. Oftentimes the scalp suffers chemical burns as a result. Relaxers are horrifying.
While I agree with some of the FDA cumbersome, they should be focusing on toxic chemicals and ingredients used on the daily basis in our food industry. It's embarrassing when Europe and around the world these ingredients are banned and here we get to eat them like it's nothing. Please don't hate me, I'm just trying to figure out which is their best interest... Chemical in hair products or Food?
I wish so many black women didn't feel the need to straighten their hair out of a misplaced effort to be accepted by society in the first place. And I wish institutions like schools didn't realize that black people generally have naturally curly hair.
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