New York bans PFAS and toxic chemicals in menstrual products
Advocates plan to extend restrictions via the 2026 Beauty Justice Act for cosmetics and personal care.
USA – New York has enacted the nation’s most comprehensive ban on PFAS and other toxins in menstrual products, surpassing similar measures in other states.
Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Ban on PFAS & Toxic Chemicals in Menstrual Products Act (S.1548/A.1502) into law on December 19, 2025, prohibiting the sale of contaminated pads, tampons, liners, cups, and period underwear starting December 2026.
The law bans intentionally added restricted substances, such as PFAS (“forever chemicals”), lead, mercury, parabens, formaldehyde, talc, triclosan, and toluene, effective one year after enactment.
By January 1, 2029, the state will set strict thresholds for unavoidable trace amounts, enforced by the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Unlike narrower PFAS-only bans in states such as California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont, New York’s measure targets a broader array of carcinogens, hormone disruptors, and heavy metals linked to cancer, fertility issues, and immune dysfunction.
Briana Carbajal, State Legislative Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, stated, “Women and femmes of colour are already disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals in their lived environment, and even more so from beauty products that are marketed towards them.”
“One way to reduce this dangerous exposure is to ban toxic chemicals in period products, which pose a heightened risk given their use in absorptive areas of the body as well as their duration of use.”
Sponsored by Senator Nathalia Fernandez and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, the bill passed unanimously in both chambers in March 2025 before Hochul’s signature.
Advocacy from groups like WE ACT for Environmental Justice and the JustGreen Partnership drove its momentum, building on efforts in 37 states to address PFAS.
Manufacturers must reformulate products for New York’s market, with compliance deadlines providing a transition period amid growing national scrutiny of toxins in personal care products.
This move comes at a time when the American menstrual care market in 2025 was valued at several billion dollars, showing moderate growth after years of stagnation, with strong consumer demand for affordable, sustainable, and plant-based products.
Globally, the feminine hygiene products market is valued at USD 38.9 billion in 2025, projected to reach USD 87.9 billion by 2035 at a CAGR of 8.5%, according to areport by Future Market Insights.
Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE.
