This is the property of the Daily Journal Corporation and fully protected by copyright. It is made available only to Daily Journal subscribers for personal or collaborative purposes and may not be distributed, reproduced, modified, stored or transferred without written permission. Please click "Reprint" to order presentation-ready copies to distribute to clients or use in commercial marketing materials or for permission to post on a website. and copyright (showing year of publication) at the bottom.
Subscribe to the Daily Journal for access to Daily Appellate Reports, Verdicts, Judicial Profiles and more...

Environmental & Energy,
Consumer Protection Law

Jan. 29, 2025

Multi-state pressure outpaces FDA in hair relaxer formaldehyde fight

Even without FDA action on formaldehyde in hair relaxers, state-level bans and ongoing litigation are pushing manufacturers to remove the controversial chemical from their products.

Alexander M. Smith

Partner, Jenner & Block LLP

Phone: (213) 239-2622

Email: asmith@jenner.com

Harvard Univ Law School; Cambridge MA

Shutterstock

Many consumers and public interest groups have raised concerns that formaldehyde in hair relaxers and other personal care products raises risks of cancer, respiratory ailments, and other diseases. These concerns have prompted thousands of consumers to file product liability and consumer fraud lawsuits against manufacturers of hair relaxer products, which have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of Illinois. See In re: Hair Relax...

To continue reading, please subscribe.
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!

Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)

Already a subscriber?

Enewsletter Sign-up