Virginia bans formaldehyde, mercury and PFAS in cosmetics

Since July 1, 2026, Virginia law has barred making or selling a cosmetic with any of 24 listed chemicals added on purpose, with exceptions for retailers and unavoidable trace amounts. The list includes formaldehyde and methylene glycol, a form of formaldehyde used in hair-smoothing treatments that gives off formaldehyde gas when heated. It also covers mercury, two phthalates, two parabens, quaternium-15, two hair-dye chemicals, and 13 PFAS “forever chemicals.” The law’s definition of “cosmetic” reaches everyday items like shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant.

You don’t have to do anything to be protected. The rule falls on manufacturers and sellers. A retailer isn’t liable unless it makes these products or knowingly sells them, and stores could keep selling stock they already had before July 1. Unavoidable traces from impurities, manufacturing, storage or packaging don’t count when the product was made through a process intended to comply. Breaking the law counts as a violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra of Fairfax County carried the bill, and Del. Rae Cousins of Richmond’s similar bill was folded into it. Keys-Gamarra said shoppers usually can’t tell what’s in products like perms and lipstick. A Richmond salon owner told lawmakers that few salons have the ventilation needed to handle formaldehyde-releasing treatments safely. The bill passed the House 76–22 and the Senate 40–0. Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed it on April 13, 2026.