BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The state of California is banning chemicals that are in some every day hair products, due to the affects they have on your health. Chemicals such as formaldehyde can lead to cancer.
- More than half a dozen chemicals are being banned in California.
- California's Toxic-Free Cosmetic Act prevents manufacturers from selling products that have certain chemicals. These chemicals have been found to affect your health.
- The bill passed in September 30, 2020, went into effect on January 1, 2025.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Some hair products have been found with chemicals that can be harmful to your hair and health. I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter. On January 1, 2025 a new law went into effect in the state of California, forcing companies of certain products to change their ingredients if they wish to still be sold in the state.
Since 2020, state regulators have been reviewing the products used in the beauty industry concentrating on products that contain certain chemicals which were found to be harmful. California's Toxic-Free Cosmetic Act prevents manufacturers from selling these products.
Fiona Hines Legislative Advocate with CalPERS said "On January 1, three important laws are going into effect. These laws are going to take out some of the most toxic chemicals that have been put historically into modern personal care products. That includes 24 of the most toxic chemicals, including mercury and formaldehyde. As well as PFAS a forever chemical, that is super hard to break down. A lot of these chemicals have been linked to serious health impacts including cancer."
A handful of some of the chemicals you should look out for are:
| Formaldehyde | Quaternium-15 |
| 13 PFA's Chemicals | Methylene Glycol |
| Dibutyl Phthalate | Isopropylparaben |
Some can affect hair lost and some cases can cause cancer.
"Formaldehyde can definitely harm your hair as well as your health overall. That's something we are seeing being a issue on the federal level. The federal government has missed its deadline three times to get formaldehyde out hair straighteners. Today across the country formaldehyde can still be in hair products, which is a super big issue." said Hines
A few brands pride themselves on removing those toxins. Providing a healthier and stronger glow to your hair. An example of these products would be Unite.
Ramona Potts Owner of Atomic Kitten Salon said "One of our products that we carry and use is the unite products. They were leading edge years ago, with taking all the bad ingredients out. No, sulfates, parabens, gluten free, and no DEA's or anything like that. They have done that for quite sometimes."
Some owners tell me that there are natural products also, but some brands use certain chemicals to keep the conditioner or spray to last longer.
"Some of the ingredients in question would be like, straighten products that permanently straighten your hair. Those don't necessary have the bad ingredients in them by themselves. When you add mix ingredients together and then add high heat to it. It causes a chemical reaction. " said Potts
Owners of supply stores have told me they didn't know some products have harmful chemicals, and they plan to go through their inventory and make a change. For 23 ABC I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter.
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