Weave’s Statement on FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s Resignation 

Recent news of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary’s resignation amid pressure from the current administration is continued evidence of instability and division within federal leadership during a time of major health and safety concerns. It further undermines public trust and confidence in the FDA’s ability to protect the well-being of communities across the country. While leadership changes raise questions about what comes next, one thing remains clear: We must not continue to deprioritize the health of those communities most impacted by toxic chemical exposures.  

At Weaving Voices for Health & Justice (Weave), we’re continuing to push for stronger federal protections on formaldehyde in hair straighteners, menstrual product testing and labeling, and oversight of intimate care products.  

During his tenure, Commissioner Makary admirably resisted pressure to ignore the science and advance attacks on reproductive health and to rapidly approve fruit-flavored vaping tobacco (a product that attracts under-aged users and can lead to a lifetime of addiction and respiratory issues). However, the agency failed to take numerous other actions to protect public health under his leadership, including FIVE missed deadlines to release a long-overdue national ban on formaldehyde in hair straightening products based on sound scientific evidence linking formaldehyde exposure to cancer, asthma, reproductive harms, and other serious health risks.  

These delays are not only policy failures, they represent ongoing harms and health risks for salon workers and consumers who face repeated exposure to dangerous chemicals in products used every day, especially Black and Latine individuals who continue to bear a disproportionate share of those risks because of longstanding inequities within the beauty industry and broader beauty standards. 

In addition to regulation that improves beauty standards, Weave also calls on the FDA for stronger testing and labeling guidance for menstrual products and increased regulation of intimate care products. Products that come into contact with the body’s most absorbent tissues should not contain chemicals and contaminants linked to reproductive health concerns.  

As conversations continue about the future of FDA leadership, Weave believes the next commissioner must prioritize science, research, consumer safety, and community well-being over corporate influence. Communities deserve regulators willing to take timely action when evidence points to preventable harm. 

This moment should not become another excuse for continued delays.