clean beauty for black girls blog — Clean Beauty for Black Girls

Facial Moisturizer. Why You Need It & What To Watch For.

Facial Moisturizer. Why You Need It & What To Watch For.

Let’s start by talking about why it’s important for you to be properly moisturizing your face. It has been indicated, by some research, that Black skin does lose moisture a bit faster.

But properly hydrated skin helps to reduce skin problems in several ways. One, the skin on our face sheds at a faster rate and needs hydration to repair. Two, it helps to maintain your skin’s overall balance by encouraging elasticity and giving you more youthful looking skin. Third, properly moisturized skin keeps flare ups at bay - because dry skin can cause buildup and clogging of pores.

2020Hannah McCallDecember 11, 2020face lotion, face moisturizer, cleansing balm, skin hydration, skin lotion, parabens, breast feeding mother, pregnant, black women's health, clean beauty, clean beauty for black girls, clean retinol, retinatural, black girls are magicComment

Black Women, Fibroids & Parabens

Black Women, Fibroids & Parabens

Now, what is it with fibroids and Black women?

Did you know that Black women are 2-3x more likely to suffer from fibroids?

They start to show up at younger ages (when compared to our counterparts) and they are often more severe.

2020Hannah McCallDecember 4, 2020black women fibroids, fibroids, black women's health, why do black women have fibroids, parabens, black women and parabens, endocrine disruption, vitamin d deficiency, estrogen levelsComment

What to Watch for in Toothpaste

What to Watch for in Toothpaste

We use an average of 20 gallons of toothpaste in our lifetime, and while we aren’t necessarily ingesting it - the lining of our mouth still allows it’s ingredients to enter our bloodstream. Let’s highlight a few of the ingredients you should be watching for & avoiding and why.

2020Hannah McCallNovember 20, 2020toothpaste, brushing your teeth, toxins in toothpaste, how to safely brush your teeth, floss every day, clean beauty, dental hygiene, what to watch for in toothpaste, safe toothpaste, clean toothpaste, clean beauty for black girls Comment

Why The Safe Cosmetics Act Matters

Why The Safe Cosmetics Act Matters

The Safe Cosmetics Act that recently passed in California is what hopefully is the start of a landfall of change across the country.

In this bill there are 24 toxic chemicals that are outlined & have known linkages to cancer, hormone disruption and reproductive harm.

2020Hannah McCallNovember 13, 2020clean beauty for black girls, clean beauty, campaign for safer cosmetics, ewg, environmental working group, black women for wellness, personal care products safety act, regulation of cosmetic products, cancer, hormone disruption, list of safe cosmetics, safe cosmetics, safe makeup, safe skincare, black women's healthComment

How To Deal With Maskne

How To Deal With Maskne

What in the world is maskne and why must it stop us from being great?

What happens when you are wearing a mask is basically a little inferno of moisture. The result is often a few acne flare ups.

This type of acne is called acne mechanica and is caused due to friction and irritation from pressure on the skin. Makes sense, right?

2020Hannah McCallOctober 30, 2020maskne, Face mask, wear your mask, covid 19 protection, charcoal mask, vitamin c serum, skincare, black women's health, acneComment

5 Ingredients to Always Avoid - Download your free guide!

5 Ingredients to Always Avoid - Download your free guide!

The biggest thing I hear when it comes to switching to safer in the beauty and personal care products space is - How can I make this as simple as possible? I mean, if the FDA isn’t regulating our products, then how is the everyday person supposed to really know how to dissect labels and an ingredient list??! The second question I hear the most is - What does clean beauty even mean?

2020Hannah McCallOctober 23, 2020clean beauty, wellness, black women's health, healthy lifestyle, black health matters, black cancer, hormones, hormone disruptors, parabens, cardio, nutrition and health, organic produce, clean beauty for black girlsComment

High Blood Pressure and Black Women

High Blood Pressure and Black Women

Did you know that blood pressure issues for Black women develop earlier in life? And more than 40% of Black men and Black women deal with high blood pressure?

What if there is more to the story than obesity and diabetes?

What if high blood pressure can also be linked to using unsafe cosmetics and personal care products?

2020Hannah McCallOctober 16, 2020high blood pressure, black womens health, black health matters, blood pressure and black women, clean beauty, clean beauty for black girlsComment

Best of Clean Beauty - October

Best of Clean Beauty - October

Can you believe it’s already October? I’m a big fan of summer and everything that comes with it, but I also really enjoy that seasonal shift to cool mornings and evenings and the smell of crisp leaves.

I see October as a time of harvest and reflection. It’s a renewal time of the year for me. So I wanted to share some of the products that I (and my skin) are loving right now.

What Black Women Should Avoid While Pregnant

What Black Women Should Avoid While Pregnant

Pregnancy can be such an exciting and stressful 10 months (because let’s be honest, the whole “9 month” pregnancy thing is a lie).

We all know how important nutrition is to the health and development of the baby. That’s why it’s so widely known that pregnant mothers should avoid things like lunch meat, sushi, soft cheeses, etc.

But where in the “get ready for baby” and maternal nutrition handbooks does it list out what we should be avoiding in our skincare products?

2020Hannah McCallSeptember 11, 2020black pregnancy, black women and pregnancy, maternal health, black women's health, black mother's health, black mothers, pregnancy health, what to avoid while pregnant, black women, black women and pregnancy health, African black soap, dark skin foundation, safe sunscreen, hyperpigmentation, clean deodorantComment

Cosmetics and Immunotoxicity. It matters.

Cosmetics and Immunotoxicity. It matters.

Your immune system. It’s always something to think about at the beginning of a new season - especially fall. Especially during a pandemic. But what about when you’re thinking about a detox? We focus on a food detox, a stress detox, and even a social media detox. So why aren’t we thinking about the levels of toxins affecting our immune system?

2020Hannah McCallSeptember 4, 2020immune system, black womens health, black women makeup artists, food detox, stress detox, social media detox, tocix free, clean living, black women lead, cancer risk, endocrine disruptionComment

Hormone Imbalances. Cosmetics. Anxiety. What's the relationship here?

Hormone Imbalances. Cosmetics. Anxiety. What's the relationship here?

I’ve said before that it has been documented that Black women have higher levels of chemicals from cosmetics in our systems. Those higher levels are largely pointing at parabens & phthalates.

Both of these chemicals are known endocrine disruptors. Our endocrine system is the same thing as our hormonal system. Our endocrine system includes our thyroid, adrenals, ovaries, pancreas, hypothalamus and pituitary glands.

Here’s the thing. Cortisol is a hormone that is made in the adrenal glands. It is made during periods of stress (or perceived stress).

2020Hannah McCallAugust 14, 2020anxiety, black women and anxiety, black women's cortisol levels, wage gap, black women wage gap, black women's health, black women and self care, black women's mental health, endocrine disruption, hormone imbalance, eczema, black women acne, psoriasis, parabens, beauty related chemicalsComment

How to Grow Back Your Edges. Safely!

How to Grow Back Your Edges. Safely!

As Black women it seems we are always talking about our edges.

Whether they are getting snatched by Beyonce when she graces us with any of her genius or the artistry in which people wear them or when we are talking about their disappearance and need for regrowth.

Edges and Black women are a thing.

2020Hannah McCallAugust 7, 2020how to regrow edges, how to grow my edges, products for edges, beyonce snatched my edges, healthy diet, black womens health, black women's hair, black womens hair health, black health matters, edges, nioxin, hairfiniti, kerastase, parabens, fragrance, clean beauty for black girlsComment

What's In Your Candles?

What's In Your Candles?

The problem with a lot of candles is that they are made of paraffin. Paraffin is a byproduct of petroleum. Petroleum waste is chemically bleached, deodorized and then made into the wax that makes your candle.

2020Hannah McCallJuly 31, 2020light a candle, home fragrance, candles, favorite candles, clean candles, clean beauty, clean beauty for black girlsComment

Sun care tips for healthy skin this summer!

Sun care tips for healthy skin this summer!

Hot temperatures, and intense UV rays this season will require extra protection for areas of the body exposed to the sun. Therefore, it’s important to add sun care to your daily self-care regimen to keep your skin healthy this season. Ultraviolet radiation emitted from the sun is why it is necessary to use sunscreen to avoid harmful effects on the body such as cancers of the skin, premature aging, sunburn, and wrinkled skin.

2020Hannah McCallJuly 24, 2020do black women need sunscreen, black pharmacists, clean beauty, safer beauty, wellness, black wellness, wellness for black women, black womens health, clean beauty for black girls, safe sunscreen, healthy skin, sun careComment

Why Alcohol Doesn't Belong In Your Skincare

Why Alcohol Doesn't Belong In Your Skincare

Alcohol acts as a solvent, preservative, emulsifier, and foaming agent. It is often used to make creams and lotions feel lighter, preserve the overall product and to help ingredients penetrate our skin.

As an ingredient, certain alcohols are known to break down your skin’s protective barrier and leave your skin dry. This only exacerbates oil production & removes the skin's ability to retain moisture. In addition, with dry skin often comes breakouts.

2020Hannah McCallJuly 10, 2020alcohol, skin care, face mask, face lotion, reproductive health, ingredients, alcohol free, natrual, plant based, black womens health, clean beauty, clean beauty for black girls, black health Comment

Vitamin C & Turmeric. Say Hello To Your Glow

Vitamin C & Turmeric. Say Hello To Your Glow

One of the number one skin care concerns for Black women is hyperpigmentation or uneven skin tone.

What is hyperpigmentation?

Hyperpigmentation is basically the overproduction of melanin.

2020Hannah McCallJuly 2, 2020vitamin c, turmeric, face mask, clean beauty, face serum, hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, skin lightener, skin brightener, shop black owned, black girl magic, black women lead, support black business, clean beauty for black girls, clean beauty for black womenComment

Sanitary Products & How Jewel Premium is Making a Change

Sanitary Products & How Jewel Premium is Making a Change

Something nobody tells us about is the harm lurking in the sanitary products we’ve been using month after month, year after year. Many sanitary products often include plastic materials that have harmful effects on embryonic development and can cause organ damage over time.

2020Hannah McCallJune 12, 2020menstrual flow, sanitary pads, period health, black womens health, justice for her, vagina health, black lives matter, black health matters, black women, period products, menstrual productsComment

Endocrine Disruption. Say What Now?

Endocrine Disruption. Say What Now?

You’ve seen the words endocrine disruption a lot if you’ve been a part of this community or if you’ve read any of our previous blogs.

But do you know what endocrine disruptors are? Do you know what they do?

2020Hannah McCallJune 5, 2020endocrine disruption, parabens, lead, phthalates, black womens health, black health, black health matters, clean beauty, clean beauty for black girls, clean beauty for black women, hormone development, black pregnancy, support black businessComment

#ListenUpMBC - Let’s fight metastatic breast cancer together

#ListenUpMBC - Let’s fight metastatic breast cancer together

The Tiger Lily Foundation is on a mission to educate, empower, support and advocate for young women ages 15-45 years old, before, during and after breast cancer.

Did you know that 30% of Black women newly diagnosed with breast cancer are younger than 50. (compared with 20% of white women)

Also, the rate of death for Black women from breast cancer is 40% higher than what it is for Black women.

2020Hannah McCallMay 29, 2020metastatic breast cancer, breast cancer, stage 4 breast cancer, policymakers, tiger lily foundation, confab, pfizer, #ListenUpMBC, black women and cancer, black women breast cancer, cancer disparities, breast cancer symposium, angel advocate, clean beauty, clean beauty for black women, #cleanbeautyforblackgirlsComment

Yes, Black Woman. You Need Sunscreen

Yes, Black Woman. You Need Sunscreen

Who told us that Black people don’t need to wear sunscreen? Who started this bald-faced lie?

Did anyone ever stop to think about how it was possibly seeded in racism? Think about it. The medical field has been historically known to give Black people less than adequate care, including minimizing our pain. What makes us think that dermatology is any different?