Reminder: Why Clean Products for Black Women Matter

Let’s revisit why clean beauty products for Black women matter so much. 

A refresher, if you will. 

For starters, the cosmetics and personal care products industry brings in something like $42 billion in revenue on an annual basis. 

Of that $42 billion, Black women account for 22% of that revenue. 

For context, we are only 7% of the population.

That means that every time we make a purchasing decision in this industry we are both endorsing brands and their products, while also voting for them to continue “as is”. 

Even when that means we are supporting products that are making us sick.

To take it one step further, we are using our influence to get other Black women to buy products that include ingredients that can cause their health harm, as well.

The higher level of exposure Black women face by way of our products is two-fold. One, products that are marketed to Black women are generally found to include the biggest offending ingredients in them. And two, only 25% of our products were found to be low-risk. Compare that to the 40% of products for the general population and you can start to see the attack on Black women’s health. 

Need further convincing? Did you know that Black women are 4-8x more likely to have parabens in our body? Don’t think, for one second, that is not related to us having more fibroid and breast cancer diagnoses. Because it is. They are related. 

One more (not) surprise for you. 

The products made for Black women’s hair are attacked the hardest. Our hair. Our hair products. 

Our hair has been politicized for as long as there is history. And now they are using that structure to intentionally make us sick?!?

Here’s the thing… Since the last legislation was passed way back in the 1930s, it’s a no brainer that this industry needs some updating and further regulation. I mean that was the Depression era, y’all. I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in laws made back then. They weren’t for you and me. 

The question is, what will you do moving forward?

Will you be intentional about your health and how you vote with your (very powerful) dollars? 

Because you can start to read labels. 

You can find brands that are committed to you and your health.

You don’t have to give up luxury and products that work.

You can have both, sis.