In a move aimed at protecting women—particularly Black and Hispanic women—from health risks linked to everyday personal care products, U.S. Representative Shontel Brown (D-OH) has introduced the HER Act (Health and Environmental Research Act).
The bill targets the regulation and research of potentially harmful chemicals commonly found in products like hair relaxers, body lotions, deodorants, leave-in conditioners, and cosmetics.
Rep. Brown unveiled the bill in a video shared on Instagram, warning that many of these commonly used products contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that have been linked to fibroids, infertility, early puberty, and other hormone-related health conditions.
“Some of these chemicals have been linked to serious health problems like fibroids, infertility, early puberty and more,” Rep. Brown said. “And Black and Hispanic women are more likely to use these products and more likely to deal with the fallout. And that’s just not right.”
The HER Act proposes three key legislative measures:
- Increased federal funding for research into the long-term health effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals in personal care products.
- Public awareness campaigns to educate consumers—especially women of color—on the risks associated with these products.
- Policy reforms and standards to ensure safer alternatives become the norm in the U.S. cosmetics and personal care market.
Legal and health advocates are already drawing comparisons between the HER Act and similar consumer protection laws aimed at banning hazardous substances in food and medicine. However, the bill is unique in its focus on environmental justice and racial disparities in health outcomes tied to long-standing market practices.
If passed, the legislation could have far-reaching consequences for the cosmetics and personal care industries, which have faced growing scrutiny over product safety and marketing strategies that disproportionately affect communities of color.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently has limited authority to regulate ingredients in cosmetic products, a gap the HER Act aims to close by supporting comprehensive research and regulatory transparency.
