In a landmark move aimed at protecting the health of Black women and salon workers, federal lawmakers have introduced The Safe Beauty Bill Package, a set of four bills designed to ban or regulate toxic chemicals commonly found in haircare and cosmetic products aggressively marketed to women of color.
The proposed legislation specifically targets carcinogens and hormone-disrupting ingredients that have been repeatedly linked to breast cancer, infertility, early puberty, and neurological issues.
Studies show that Black women are disproportionately exposed to these dangerous ingredients, particularly through products like hair relaxers, synthetic braiding hair, and skin lightening creams.
“This isn’t a coincidence — this is exploitation,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, one of the co-authors of the bill. “Black women, girls, and salon workers should be able to show up every day as our beautiful, authentic selves, without fear for our health and safety.”
A Call for Beauty Without Harm
The bill package includes:
- The Cosmetic Safety Protections for Communities of Color & Salon Workers Act, which directly addresses the racial inequities in toxic exposure, especially among Black salon workers.
- The Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act, mandating that manufacturers disclose all ingredients used in cosmetic products.
- The Cosmetic Hazardous Ingredient Right To Know Act, requiring warning labels and safety information on products with known harmful chemicals.
- The Toxic-Free Beauty Act, which bans two chemical classes and 18 known toxic substances, including lead, formaldehyde, mercury, asbestos, phthalates, and parabens — all commonly found in products marketed to Black women.
“These bills recognize that everyone deserves protection from unsafe cosmetic exposures regardless of where they live, shop, or work,” said Janet Nudelman, policy director at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
Studies Confirm a Pattern
Earlier this year, Consumer Reports found carcinogens in 10 types of synthetic braiding hair, further raising red flags in communities where protective styles are cultural mainstays. Medical experts have long warned that repeated exposure to certain chemicals in relaxers and styling products may contribute to a higher risk of uterine cancer and endocrine disruption in Black women.
While the FDA signaled it would act on a ban of formaldehyde and similar chemicals in hair straightening products by April 2024, that effort was stalled after former President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 halting all new federal regulations.
A Push for Justice and Safety
For many Black women, these bills aren’t just about beauty — they’re about bodily autonomy, environmental justice, and public health.
The legislative push is being hailed as a response to decades of systemic neglect and racially biased product marketing in the beauty industry, where the demand for “sleek,” “tamed,” or “lighter” aesthetics has long been tied to unsafe products.
If passed, the Safe Beauty Bill Package would mark a historic shift in federal oversight of the cosmetics industry and could set new standards for transparency, safety, and justice in personal care.
This fight is personal — not just political. For every little girl sitting in a salon chair, for every woman applying product before work, and for every stylist exposing herself daily to fumes and formulas, this legislation represents a turning point in protecting Black beauty from toxic harm.
