Prioritizing Our Health & Safety in Salons

It’s time to prioritize our health and safety in the salon environment.

Salon workers are particularly vulnerable to chemical exposures due to their frequent contact with a wide range of beauty products, many of which contain hazardous chemicals. These hazardous ingredients have been linked to long-term health issues such as asthma, skin conditions, reproductive harm, cancer, and more.

Women’s Voices for the Earth shared a recent investigation into professional salon products that revealed that while hazardous ingredients have been known to be harmful for decades now, very little innovation has gone into replacing them with safer alternatives. This means that even though we know these chemicals are dangerous, manufacturers still use them in their products and provide unrealistic safety instructions for users. 

This is unfair and puts the onus for safety on salon workers, rather than where it belongs—on manufacturers to make products that are safe to use.

New laws have been introduced in recent years requiring ingredient disclosure, yet there are still some products being sold today without full ingredient labels. In addition, we found that when dangerous chemicals have been removed from products, they have often been replaced with other “regrettable substitutes” that are far from ideal.

Or worse, claims of the removal of certain ingredients are simply a rewording of chemical ingredients.

It is time to demand greater accountability from the salon product industry and push for safer, healthier alternatives that don’t put our health at risk. 

Securing the right-to-know what ingredients are used in products is a big and important first step. With this knowledge, we can make informed decisions about which products and ingredients to avoid. 

Furthermore, it’s time for manufacturers to take responsibility for making products that are less toxic.

For all of us.

By advocating for safer, healthier salons we can protect workers and their clients from long-term health issues caused by hazardous ingredients. We have the power to create a healthier and more sustainable future for the salon product industry, one that doesn’t put anyone’s health at risk. 

Let's demand safer alternatives and hold manufacturers accountable for their products! Together we can make an impact.

Take care of yourself, and remember - we rise together.