California Air Resources Board

H.E.R. Accessories, Ltd.  Settles For $130,000

In October 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and H.E.R. Accessories, Ltd. (H.E.R. Accessories) of New York, New York  reached a settlement for violations related to CARB’s Regulation for Reducing Emissions from Consumer Products (Consumer Products Regulation), as specified in California Code of Regulations, title 17, sections 94507 et seq. and Prohibitions on Use of Certain Hydrofluorocarbons in Stationary Refrigeration, Stationary Air-conditioning, and Other End-Uses Regulation (HFC Regulation) pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 17, sections 95371 through 95379.

An investigation by CARB staff revealed that H.E.R. Accessories sold, supplied, offered for sale, or manufactured for use in California, the product Wow Hair Color Spray, that was not in compliance with CARB’s Consumer Products Regulation. Wow Hair Color Spray was found to contain concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that exceeded the standards specified in the Consumer Products Regulation (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 17, § 94509(a)). In addition, Wow Hair Color Spray did not meet product dating requirements specified in the Consumer Products Regulation (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 17, § 94512). The penalty amount for the company’s violation of the Consumer Products Regulation totals $55,000.

The CARB investigation also revealed that H.E.R. Accessories sold, or entered into commerce in California, the product Wow String, which was not in compliance with CARB’s HFC Regulation because it contained the ingredient HFC-134a for aerosol-propellant end-use (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 17, § 95375(b)(1)). The penalty amount for Wow String’s noncompliance under the HFC Regulation was based on each day the product was found to be in violation from June 2021 to August 2024, and totals $74,500.

H.E.R. Accessories fully cooperated with CARB to resolve this matter. Both products have been reformulated and are now in compliance with the Consumer Product Regulation and HFC Regulation. The full settlement amount of $130,000 will be deposited into CARB’s Air Pollution Control Fund that provides funding for projects and research to improve California's air quality. Terms of the settlement also include a requirement for H.E.R. Accessories to comply with all other CARB regulations going forward.

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