EWG Adds Black Cosmetics To Skin Deep

According to the Environmental Working Group, there is a growing market for Black cosmetics, however Black women have limited choices for products that score low in potentially harmful ingredients.
 
EWG researchers analyzed more than 1100 products looking at the hazards posed by their ingredients, and found that Black women had fewer healthy options based on the products marketed to them. Fewer than 25% of the personal care products marketed specifically to Black women rated well in EWG's Skin Deep database, compared to 40% of those available to the general public, according to the watchdog group.
 
“We've assessed the health and safety of tens of thousands of personal care products for more than 12 years, but we wanted to broaden Skin Deep to include products specifically marketed to Black women,” said Nneka Leiba, EWG deputy director of research. “As a Black woman, I was excited to see more of the products I use each day in Skin Deep, but disheartened to discover that there are fewer options for healthier, less hazardous products marketed specifically to women like me.”
 
“Every woman, in every culture, within any racial group, can agree that the desire to look and feel beautiful is universal. EWG’s report offers the sound, empirical, scientific data needed to arm minority women with the necessary information to make better health choices and to avoid unnecessary toxic exposures in hair and other personal care products,” said Tenya Steele, director of environmental health for WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
 
EWG found that the worst-scoring products marketed to Black women are hair relaxers, and hair color and bleaching products. But even in other categories such as concealers, foundations and sun-protective makeup, no product analyzed scored “low hazard” in Skin Deep. 

“Many of the hair relaxers and dyes are multi-step products that increase the chance of being exposed to hazardous chemicals,” said Paul Pestano, EWG senior database analyst. “Some of the hair lotions and styling gels contain ingredients of concern like parabens, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives and 'fragrance.’ In fact, half the products we reviewed contained 'fragrance,' which factored into the higher, red scores in Skin Deep.”
 
“Black women and girls need resources that shed light on the chemicals and toxics used in our personal care and hair products,” said Nourbese Flint, policy director for Black Women for Wellness. “Adding more than 1,100 products primarily marketed to Black women to EWG’s Skin Deep is a critical step forward in providing much-needed information to consumers.”