Taking Action in Beauty Legislation (Ch. 173-339 WAC)
We’ve got an opportunity for a safer beauty industry over in the Pacific Northwest. In February 2025, the Washington State Department of Ecology proposed a rule to restrict 28 chemicals known as formaldehyde releasers in cosmetics manufactured, sold, or distributed within the state.
These chemicals gradually release formaldehyde, a recognized carcinogen, into cosmetic products. Products such as smoothing treatments where heat hits these chemicals and it causes a reaction where formaldehyde is produced in the steam - even if formaldehyde isn’t present in the formulation.
This proposal builds upon the existing Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (TFCA) of 2023, which already bans several chemicals, including formaldehyde itself, PFAS, phthalates, and sets a lead standard at 1 ppm (parts per million).
Why Should Beauty Professionals Get Involved?
As it directly involves beauty professionals, it is important for us to band together to create a larger voice in legislation. If we can band together on this issue for Washington State, then we can push this further into the other states as well to create safer working conditions for us and our clients.
There are approximately 726,000 licensed hairdressers and cosmetologists in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment of barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists will grow 7% over 2023 to 2033. If we can get even half of all professionals to get involved in regulation, we can see an industry that’s changed to what we need to have long lasting careers.
Take Action
You can take action by leaving a public comment on this ruling by April 11th. Here is a comment template you can utilize and personal to tell your story and send it through the button:
Comment Template:
“Thank you for Washington’s leadership banning cancer-causing chemicals in personal care products and cosmetics.
(Name or Name of Organization) strongly supports the Department of Ecology’s draft rule to ban ALL formaldehyde releasers in cosmetics. This rule is a critical step in making products used on our skin, in our hair, and that get flushed down the drain safer.
Formaldehyde can cause cancer, harm brain function, increase the risk of asthma, and irritate eyes and skin. It can also impact fish. These chemicals have no place in the products we use on our bodies every day.
(include specific data or story that will emphasize the importance)
Specifically, we support:
The ban on the list of 28 formaldehyde releasers that will take effect on January 1, 2027;
The definition of intentionally added, which will ensure ALL formaldehyde releasers added to the final product, the manufacturing of the product, or is an ingredient in the final product will be covered; and,
The strong enforcement provisions that clearly state there will be an assumption that formaldehyde or a restricted formaldehyde releaser, or both were intentionally added if formaldehyde is found during sampling.
Please finalize this draft rule that bans ALL formaldehyde releasers and ensures strong enforcement.”
You can also stay updated on this matter by following the Washington State Department of Ecology and Toxic-Free Future as well as their “Guide for Cosmetologies”.
This bill was originally through the Safer Beauty Bill Package on a federal level but didn’t pass, now it is up to the states to pass the same or similar version of the bill.
If you’re in the state of Washington, you can join the Safer Salons Partnership. It is a pilot program through the state of Washington that financially reimburses hairdressers, hair salons, cosmetology schools, barbers, and barber shops that use third-party certified, “safer” products. This is set to launch in 2025.
The last thing you can do: share. Share with your clients, your coworkers, your salon, your community.
"There is no act too small, no act too bold. The history of social change is the history of millions of actions, small and large, coming together at critical points to create a power that governments cannot suppress." - Howard Zinn