FDA’s Fourth Missed Deadline on Formaldehyde Ban: A Troubling Pattern Amid Mass Layoffs

By: Jayla Burton

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has once again missed its deadline to act on its reported intention to propose a ban on formaldehyde in hair straightening products—marking the fourth time the agency has delayed a critical regulatory action that directly impacts the health of consumers and worker safety. The FDA announced its intention to propose a rule banning formaldehyde, initially setting an action date of April 2024. The date was then pushed back multiple times—July 2024, September 2024, and most recently March 2025. This continued delay is unacceptable, especially as salon workers and consumers remain at risk of exposure to a well-documented carcinogen. 

These delays follow years of previously missed deadlines to research and address the health hazards of formaldehyde in hair straighteners. In 2016, WVE and the Environmental Working Group sued the FDA for its failure to act on a six-year-old petition requesting an investigation into hair straighteners containing formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen and potent allergen.

The implications of this latest missed deadline are even more alarming given the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recent announcement of mass layoffs, including roughly one-fifth of the FDA workforce. The FDA has long struggled with staffing shortages, delaying inspections, safety reviews, and enforcement actions. The latest layoffs will only worsen these issues.  

The FDA’s repeated failures to implement a formaldehyde ban reflect a broader issue of regulatory inertia that endangers public health. Formaldehyde has been listed as a known carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program since 2011, but consumers and salon workers continue to suffer due to a lack of government action. Formaldehyde exposure has been linked to severe health risks, including respiratory issues, allergic reactions, and various cancers. For over a decade, salon workers, public health advocates, and consumer safety organizations have called for stronger regulations on its use in hair straighteners and other cosmetic products.  

Regulators cannot continue to sideline public health for bureaucratic delays and budget cuts. The time for decisive action is now. 

—— 

• 2010-2015: Reports of adverse events from hair straightening products increased, prompting scrutiny of formaldehyde’s health effects. 

• 2016: Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) sued the FDA for failing to act on the known dangers of formaldehyde in hair products. The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, but the concerns remained. 

• 2021: WVE and EWG submitted a citizen petition urging the FDA to ban formaldehyde in hair straightening products. 

• 2024: The FDA announced their intention to propose a rule to ban formaldehyde, initially setting an action date of April 2024. The date was then delayed multiple times—April 2024, July 2024 , September 2024, and now March 2025.