Millions of Americans are unknowingly being exposed to a carcinogen in their personal care products, a new watchdog report claims.
Chemical relaxers used to straighten hair may increase the risk of developing multiple cancers by as much as 166 percent, a new study has found
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) sent a notice to major retailers Amazon.com, Target and Walmart on Tuesday notifying them that they are in violation for selling shampoos, body soaps and other hygienic products that contain cocamide diethanolamine, or cocamide DEA.
Cocamide DEA is derived from coconut oil and commonly used in shampoos, soaps and lotions as a foam booster, thickening agent and stabilizer.
It is made by reacting coconut oil with a chemical called ethanolamine.
Laboratory tests have linked the substance to liver and kidney cancer, and California has added it to the list of carcinogenic chemicals that require a label be placed on products containing.
Caitlin Moher, CEH’s Research Manager, told Daily Mail in a statement: ‘Cocamide DEA has been found to cause cancer. It has no place in any personal care products we use on our hair or on our skin.
‘Cocamide DEA is included on the ingredient lists printed on these products, so we know it is intentionally included. We hope today’s lawsuit pushes Amazon and Walmart to stop selling shampoos, body soaps, and personal care products they know contain this carcinogenic chemical.’
The CEH worked to remove cocamide DEA from the market over a decade ago by taking legal action that resulted in 120 companies eliminating the substance from their shampoos, soaps and similar personal care products between 2013 and 2016.
However, the group ‘noticed that the carcinogenic chemical seems to be creeping back into the market’ and in 2023, it found the toxin in multiple products sold at Family Dollar and Dollar Tree.
At that time, the CEH sued and reached a settlement agreement with the manufacturers, distributors and retailers.
This reappearance, prompted CEH to review other popular products on the market for cocamide DEA on their ingredients label.
The CEH consumer protection team found 28 products sold on Amazon.com, one at Target and 11 products sold at Walmart that contained Cocamide DEA, leading the group to take legal action against the retailers this week.
The nonprofit is optimistic that this lawsuit will prompt these retailers to stop selling these products with Cocamide DEA to ensure shampoos, body soaps, and hygiene products are free of this carcinogen.
The CEH has compiled a comprehensive list of the products, which includes shampoos, facial care products, nail care, intimate hygiene soaps, hand soaps and foot care.
Animal studies have linked cocamide DEA and DEA-containing mixtures to an increased incidence of liver and kidney tumors and major regulatory and toxicology bodies classify coconut‑oil/DEA condensates as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans.’
Additionally, research has shown that when combined with some preservatives, cocamide DEA forms nitrosamines.
Nitrosamines are established carcinogens in animals and are easily absorbed through the skin.
Daily Mail has reached out to the companies for comment and has not received a response yet, and the companies have not responded to the CEH.
Personal care and hair products have come under scrutiny before, and experts have long been concerned about the presence of the carcinogen formaldehyde in chemical hair-straightening and relaxing treatments, such as Keratin treatments and Brazilian blowouts.
In a bid to see the long term health consequences of this chemical, researchers from Emory University in Georgia analyzed data from a long-term health study involving more than 50,000 US women.
The Sister Study enrolled participants who were between 35 and 74 years old, had no personal history of breast cancer, but had at least one sister who had been diagnosed with the disease.
Enrollment took place between 2003 and 2009, and participants were followed through September 2021.
For the final analysis, researchers included data from 46,287 women who were followed for an average of 13.1 years.
The study focused on cancers with at least 100 reported cases during the follow-up period and examined whether participants had used hair straighteners or relaxers in the 12 months prior to joining the study.
Use of these products was linked to significantly higher cancer risks. Compared to non-users, women who used hair straighteners or relaxers had a 166 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer, which is considered one of the deadliest forms of the disease because it lacks a specific screening test, making early detection difficult.
The above is a graph showing cancer prevalence and projections in the US from 1975 to 2040 by age
Women who used hair straighteners or relaxers also had a 71 percent higher risk of thyroid cancer and a 62 percent higher risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The risk increased further among frequent users – defined as using the products more than four times per year.
In this group, the risk of pancreatic cancer more than doubled, while thyroid cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma also showed elevated, though not statistically significant, risks.
The researchers also noted a possible link between straightener use and kidney cancer, though the association was described as ‘positive but imprecise’.
Formaldehyde, which is used as a preservative in hair products, can escape from them as a gas over time, a process known as ‘off-gassing’ – especially when they come into contact with heat.
If these fumes are inhaled repeatedly, they can lead to anything from minor side effects like eye and respiratory irritation to major health issues like an increased risk of head and neck cancers.
These risks are heightened if an area like a bathroom or bedroom is poorly ventilated.
The American Cancer Society notes that in animal and human studies, formaldehyde has been linked to various forms of cancer including in the nose, the upper throat, the stomach and it has also been shown to increase the risk of leukemia.
Demographic data in the recent study showed that hair straightener and relaxer use varied significantly by race.
The products were used by 66 percent of Black women, 25 percent of Hispanic/Latina women, and just 1.3 percent of non-Hispanic White women in the study.
‘These novel findings expand the scope of the adverse health outcomes that have been associated with these products,’ the researchers wrote.
They emphasized the need for further investigation to confirm the results and to identify specific ingredients in hair straighteners and relaxers that may be contributing to cancer risk.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence raising concerns about the long-term health effects of chemical hair treatments, particularly among populations with higher usage rates.
The European Union and at least 10 US states have banned or proposed to ban formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers in personal care products.
In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration proposed a national ban on formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers in hair straighteners, but it has yet to be enacted.
Written by Alexa Lardieri and Sadie Whitelocks for The Daily Mail ~ February 6, 2026
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