Sen. Hunter Bans Beauty Toxins, Strengthens Consumer Protections

New Illinois law targets synthetic chemicals scientists have linked to cancer and reproductive harm in products used by Black women

  State Sen. Mattie Hunter notched a landmark consumer protection victory June 26 when Illinois signed into law her legislation banning “forever chemicals” from beauty and personal care products, targeting synthetic compounds scientists have linked to cancer, hormonal disruption and reproductive harm in products disproportionately used by Black women.

  House Bill 3409, championed by Hunter (D-Chicago), makes it unlawful for any person to knowingly manufacture or sell a cosmetic product in the state containing any of 11 specifically named toxic substances or 13 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, that were intentionally added during the product’s formulation.

  The measure carries particular weight for Black women, who research shows are exposed to higher concentrations of hazardous chemicals through beauty products than any other demographic, and who face disproportionate rates of uterine cancer, uterine fibroids and other reproductive conditions researchers have linked to those same chemicals.

  “For too long, the cosmetics industry has operated without the kind of oversight we apply to food, medicine and drinking water,” Hunter said. “We are working to close that gap and put Illinois at the forefront of a national movement to hold manufacturers accountable for what goes into their products and onto our skin.”

  The senator, representing Illinois’ 3rd District, has long been a champion of strong consumer protections and fighting or access to health care in underserved communities.

  PFAS are a family of more than 12,000 synthetic chemical compounds manufactured and used in consumer products since the 1940s. They are called “forever chemicals” because their carbon-fluorine bonds make them extraordinarily resistant to breakdown in the environment or the human body. Prolonged exposure has been linked to certain cancers, hormonal disruption, immune system damage, thyroid disease and liver damage.

  The science connecting these chemicals to harm in Black women is extensive and has sharpened rapidly. In October 2022, researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences published findings from the Sister Study, a longitudinal study tracking 33,497 women over more than a decade. Women who used chemical hair straightening products more than four times a year were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer as those who never used them. Researchers estimated that 1.64 percent of women who never used hair straighteners would develop uterine cancer by age 70. For frequent users, that figure jumped to 4.05 percent. Approximately 60 percent of the women who reported frequent use in the study identified as Black.

  A subsequent study by researchers at Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study found that long-term use of chemical hair relaxers by postmenopausal Black women was associated with a greater than 50 percent increased risk of uterine cancer.

  Hair care products are not the only source of exposure. A February 2026 study by the Silent Spring Institute analyzed 43 hair extension samples and detected 169 distinct chemicals. At least one substance linked to cancer or reproductive harm appeared in 91 percent of the samples tested. Elevated fluorine levels in some samples suggested the presence of PFAS. Because Black women are the primary users of hair extensions, and because extensions are applied directly to the scalp, researchers flagged them as an overlooked and understudied exposure pathway.

  A February 2025 report by the Environmental Working Group evaluated more than 4,000 personal care products marketed to Black women and found that nearly 80 percent rated as moderate to high hazard. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has reported that Black women spend $7.5 billion on beauty products annually, exposing themselves to an average of 168 unique chemicals each day.

  That documented disparity has driven one of the largest mass tort litigations in the country. More than 14,700 lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts against manufacturers of chemical hair relaxers, including L’Oreal USA, maker of Dark and Lovely and the SoftSheen-Carson Optimum line, and Revlon. More than 11,000 of those cases are consolidated before U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland in the Northern District of Illinois, in a case titled In re: Hair Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation. Plaintiffs allege manufacturers knew for years that endocrine-disrupting chemicals in their products were linked to cancer and failed to warn consumers. Daubert motions challenging expert causation testimony were filed in April 2026, with the case advancing toward bellwether trials expected in 2027.

  “African American women have been loyal consumers of these beauty products for generations, and too many of those products have contained chemicals we now know cause cancer and devastating reproductive harm,” Hunter said. “This law sends a clear message that their loyalty should never come at the price of their health.”

  Hunter’s law arrives as states across the country move to fill a void left by federal inaction. The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 was the first significant update to federal cosmetics law since 1938. While it expanded the Food and Drug Administration’s oversight authority, it did not require premarket approval of cosmetic ingredients and did not mandate the elimination of any specific chemical. The FDA also missed its self-imposed April 2024 deadline to finalize a rule banning formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, from hair straightening products. No such rule has been issued.

  Illinois is among approximately 20 states that have enacted restrictions on PFAS in cosmetics, including California, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. The state previously approved a broader PFAS ban on consumer products in August 2025, with a 2032 effective date for cosmetics. House Bill 3409 targets specific named chemicals and 13 PFAS compounds with no delayed implementation date.

  “Illinois consumers deserve to know the products they put on their bodies every day are safe,” Hunter said. “This measure sends a clear message to the cosmetics industry: if you want to sell in Illinois, your products must meet the health and safety standards our families deserve.”