New York’s Beauty Justice Act is Given New Life
Albany, NY, US, January 2026 - Lawmakers in the New York State Senate are once again moving forward with legislation (A2045A and S2057A) that could significantly reshape the cosmetic and personal care product market in the state.
If enacted, the measure — referred to as the Beauty Justice Act — would empower state regulators to identify and require product brands to phase out ingredients deemed harmful to human health, particularly those disproportionately impacting communities of color and salon workers. The bills are revived after having passed the Senate in June 2025 but was left to die in the Assembly.
The legislative efforts targe ingredients frequently found in cosmetics and personal care formulations. Among the substances highlighted in the bill are:
Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
Heavy metals
Ortho-phthalates
Parabens
These chemicals have long been scrutinized for associations with cancer, reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, and other adverse health effects.
Rather than imposing an immediate blanket ban, the amendment provides regulatory authority for state agencies to evaluate chemicals and establish restrictions through rulemaking. This approach allows:
Hazard evaluation based on scientific evidence
Stakeholder engagement
Development of phase-out timelines
Consideration of safer alternatives
This regulatory model mirrors frameworks used in other New York chemical control programs, including those governing household cleaning products and children’s products.
New York’s proposed action reflects a broader regulatory shift across U.S. states (California, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, Washington) toward ingredient transparency and chemical phase-outs in consumer products. Internationally, several of the substances named in the bill are subject to restrictions under the European Union’s Cosmetics Regulation, reinforcing a growing convergence around precautionary chemical management in personal care products. However, some brand owners and product manufacturers may experience some initial difficulties. “The patchwork of state regulations creates inconsistent compliance requirements across jurisdictions.” Karin Ross, the EVP of government affairs for Personal Care Product Council told Personal Care Insight.
“If these brands are required to reformulate, they will need access to specialized chemists, toxicologists, ingredient suppliers, stability testing, and regulatory review, which could be costly and impact the time it takes for products to go to market,” she says.
Supporters of the amendment, on the other hand, emphasize that exposure to certain cosmetic chemicals disproportionately affects women of color and salon professionals. The legislation’s justice framing signals an effort to link environmental health policy with public health equity concerns.
What Comes Next
The bill must now proceed through the legislative process before becoming law. If it passes the Assembly, the bill has a high probability of passing in the Senate since it has already voted in its favor once already. Governor Hochul is likely to sign into the bills into law as she has signed a bill in December restricting some of the harmful chemicals in menstrual products.
NY S2057-A — Cosmetics Restricted Chemicals in NY's Bill in Comparison with Other States
| Chemical Group | Chemical Name (Corrected; Bill note if different) | CAS Number (Corrected; Bill note if different) | Potential Applications in Cosmetics | Other State Cosmetics Restrictions / Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Metal | Arsenic | 7440-38-2 | Pigment impurity | |
| Heavy Metal | Cadmium | 7440-43-9 | Pigment impurity | Minnesota — Restricted (>75 ppm cadmium) (covered products incl. cosmetics) |
| Heavy Metal | Cadmium compounds | Various | Pigment impurity | |
| Heavy Metal | Chromium | 7440-47-3 | Pigment impurity | |
| Heavy Metal | Lead | 7439-92-1 | Pigment impurity (lip/eye) | Washington — Restricted Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 Minnesota — Restricted (>90 ppm lead) (covered products incl. cosmetics) |
| Heavy Metal | Lead compounds | Various | Pigment impurity | Washington — Restricted Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| Heavy Metal | Nickel | 7440-02-0 | Trace impurity | |
| Paraben | Isobutylparaben | 4247-02-3 | Preservative | California — Prohibited Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Prohibited Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 |
| Paraben | Isopropylparaben | 4191-73-5 | Preservative | California — Prohibited Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Prohibited Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 |
| Phthalate | Ortho-phthalates and their esters | Class | Plasticizers (nail); fragrance carriers | Washington — Restricted Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 |
| Phthalate | Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) | 84-74-2 (Bill lists 84-72-2) | Nail plasticizer | California — Prohibited Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Prohibited Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under ortho-phthalates prohibition Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| Phthalate | Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) | 117-81-7 | Plasticizer; fragrance carrier | California — Prohibited Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Prohibited Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under ortho-phthalates prohibition Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| PFAS (Class) | Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) | — | Waterproof/long-wear; film forming | California — Class ban (intentionally added PFAS) Jan 1, 2025 Washington — Class ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Class ban in cosmetics Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Class ban in products incl. cosmetics Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 Maine — PFAS in cosmetic products prohibited Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered products incl. cosmetics prohibited Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — PFAS in cosmetics prohibited Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — PFAS in cosmetics prohibited starting Jan 2028 Illinois — PFAS in cosmetics prohibited Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) | 1763-23-1 | Surface performance | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban in cosmetics Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban in cosmetics Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate | 2795-39-3 | Salt form | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Diethanolamine perfluorooctane sulfonate | 70225-14-8 | Surfactant | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Ammonium perfluorooctane sulfonate | 29081-56-9 | Salt form | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Lithium perfluorooctane sulfonate | 29457-72-5 | Salt form | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) | 335-67-1 | Processing residue | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Ammonium pentadecafluorooctanoate | 3825-26-1 | Salt form | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Nonadecafluorodecanoic acid | 355-76-2 | Processing residue | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Sodium nonadecafluorodecanoate | 3830-45-3 | Salt form | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) | 375-95-1 | Processing residue | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Sodium heptadecafluorononanoate | 21049-39-8 | Salt form | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| PFAS | Ammonium perfluorononanoate | 4149-60-4 | Salt form | California — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Specific PFAS ban Jan 1, 2025 Colorado — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Minnesota — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2026 Rhode Island — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2027 New Mexico — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2028 New Jersey — Covered under PFAS class ban starting Jan 2028 Illinois — Covered under PFAS class ban Jan 1, 2032 |
| Formaldehyde | Formaldehyde | 50-00-0 | Hair smoothing; preservative impurity | California — Jan 1, 2025 Washington — Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| Formaldehyde releaser | Paraformaldehyde | 30525-89-4 | Preservative | California — Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Jan 1, 2025 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| Formaldehyde releaser | Quaternium-15 | 51229-78-8 | Preservative | California — Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| Formaldehyde releaser | Methylene glycol | 463-57-0 | Hair straightening | California — Jan 1, 2025 Washington — Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| Aromatic Hydrocarbon | Benzene | 71-43-2 | Solvent contaminant | |
| Aromatic Hydrocarbon | Toluene | 108-88-3 | Nail solvent | |
| Aromatic Hydrocarbon | Xylene | 1330-20-7 | Nail solvent | |
| Aromatic Hydrocarbon | Styrene | 100-42-5 | Nail resin | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| Aromatic Hydrocarbon | Naphthalene | 91-20-3 | Fragrance impurity | |
| Aromatic Hydrocarbon | Vinyl acetate | 108-05-4 | Adhesives/residual monomer | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| UV Absorber | Benzophenone | 119-61-9 | UV absorber | |
| Sterilant Residue | Ethylene oxide | 75-21-8 | Ethoxylated ingredient residue | |
| Siloxane | Cyclotetrasiloxane | 556-67-2 | Hair conditioning | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| Amine | Diethanolamine | 111-42-2 | Surfactant | |
| Hair Dye | m-Phenylenediamine | 108-45-2 | Oxidative dye | California — Jan 1, 2025 Washington — Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| Hair Dye | o-Phenylenediamine | 95-54-5 | Oxidative dye | California — Jan 1, 2025 Washington — Jan 1, 2025 Maryland — Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| Antimicrobial | Triclosan | 3380-34-5 | Antibacterial | Washington — Jan 1, 2025 Vermont — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2026 Maine — Prohibited (intentionally added) Jan 1, 2027 |
| Organic Acid | Trichloroacetic acid | 76-03-9 | Chemical peel | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| Phosphate Ester | Tricresyl phosphate | 1330-78-5 | Plasticizer | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| Preservative | 2-Chloracetamide | 79-07-2 | Preservative | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| Fragrance | Allyl isothiocyanate | 57-06-7 | Fragrance | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| PAH Derivative | Anthraquinone | 84-65-1 | Dye intermediate | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| Dye | Malachite green | 569-64-2 | Dye | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| Phenol | Pyrogallol | 87-66-1 | Hair dye | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| Chelator | Trisodium nitrilotriacetate | 5064-31-3 | Chelator | |
| Boron substance | Sodium perborate | 15120-21-5 | Whitening agent | California — Jan 1, 2027 |
| Boron substance | Sodium salt | 11138-47-9 | Whitening agent | |
| Boron substance | Sodium salt, monohydrate | 12040-72-1 | Whitening agent | |
| Boron substance | Sodium perborate nonohydrate | 10332-33-9 | Whitening agent | |
| Boron substance | Boric acid | 10043-35-3 / 11113-50-1 | Buffer | |
| Boron substance | Disodium octaborate anhydrous | 12008-41-2 | Buffer | |
| Boron substance | Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate | 12280-03-4 | Buffer | |
| Boron substance | 2-Aminoethanol, monoester with boric acid | 10377-81-8 | Emulsifier | |
| Boron substance | 2-Hydroxypropyl, ammonium dihydrogen orthoborate | 68003-13-4 | Buffer | |
| Boron substance | Potassium borate, boric acid potassium salt | 12712-38-8 | Buffer | |
| Boron substance | Trioctyldodecyl borate | — | Emollient | |
| Boron substance | Zinc borate | 1332-07-6 | Stabilizer | |
| Boron substance | Sodium borate, disodium tetraborate anhydrous; boric acid, sodium salt | 1330-43-4 | Buffer | |
| Boron substance | Tetraboron disodium heptaoxide, hydrate | 12267-73-1 | Buffer | |
| Boron substance | Orthoboric acid, sodium salt | 13840-56-7 | Buffer | |
| Boron substance | Disodium tetraborate decahydrate; borax decahydrate | 1303-96-4 | Buffer | |
| Boron substance | Disodium tetraborate pentahydrate; borax pentahydrate | 12179-04-3 | Buffer |