Sure, read the ingredients. You know that. But do you know why? First things first. Ingredients are listed from highest to lowest based on the amount of the ingredient - or the concentration, if you will - that is in the product.
This can be a negative on two fronts.
Read MoreYou need a skincare routine. If we are keeping it basic, your face is the most sensitive part of your skin and because it’s so rich in melanin, its health is extra important. The melanin in our skin means that it is also more sensitive and more reactive to the environment, as well as to the products we actually put on it.
Read MoreHave you been thinking about switching to natural deodorant? If so (and you haven’t made the plunge already), it’s a great place to start with choosing safer for yourself. Before I dive into why you should be paying attention to the ingredients in your deodorant, let’s revisit what happens when you use personal care products & why it’s important that you read ingredient labels.
Read MoreProducts 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.
Read MoreHaving a summertime glow is so important. Summer acne and dry skin can kick rocks, because I’m going to tell you how to do your skincare routine in the summer.
Read MoreFor starters, natural does not have any regulated definition. Most people think the ingredients of a product with the term “natural” on it means it came from nature. But that isn’t always the case. And even when it does come from nature, let’s sit with the fact that not all things from nature need to be in our products. Poison Ivy anyone? Natural does not mean safe.
Read MoreFirst things first, good hair is synonymous with healthy hair. Let’s just get that out of the way. Not only do Black women deserve to hear that clarification, but we also deserve products FOR our good hair that are also good for the planet and made of ingredients are good FOR us. Because who says we can’t have it all? Sienna Naturals sure thinks that we can. And they are here to prove it.
Read MoreDo you know what the number one skin care concern is for Black women? It’s dark spots. Uneven skin tone. Hyperpigmentation. All the same thing really and might be a large part of the reason skin lightening creams are pushed so hard to us. Let me share some of the best products for hyperpigmentation in Black skin.
Read MoreWe spend time focusing on creating a safe and thrive-friendly environment in terms of friendships, relationships, work environments, food, family members, thoughts, habits, etc. But when does that extend to your skincare? Why doesn’t that include your makeup? Do you think about removing toxicity from your detergent? Toxic is toxic.
Read MoreSPF studies and the associated recommendations & ratings are based on fair skin and the time it takes for them to get sunburn. But what about how long it takes for melanated skin to get damaged? Without the burn? Here is what happens because of the lack of research and misguidance: Black people are more likely to be diagnosed with late stage skin cancer. As in 4x as likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage melanoma. So hear me when I say this - Black People Need Sunscreen.
Read MoreIt’s important that we know what makes up the products we us. Our lipstick doesn’t have to contain lead or heavy metals. We can have access to clean makeup products without sacrificing quality. Black women deserve to be healthy.
Read MoreThe possibility of chemical accumulation is overwhelming once we start to explore how many times we come in contact with harmful ingredients. Especially when you consider that women use an average of twenty products a day - leaving us exposed to 36+ chemicals on a consistent basis. It’s no surprise then, really, that 70-90% of chronic disease is due to environmental exposures.
Read MoreEven with its water base, skin toner is often found to be infused with skin-hugging ingredients. Think things like tea tree and aloe, antioxidants and acids.
The whole purpose of toner is to remove the impurities from your face and leave with you a fresh face before treatment products are applied.
Read MorePEGs are often used as a means to thicken products and to soften products. That is because they are moisture-carrying agents. The ugly side of that is that they also enhance a product's ability to penetrate…been associated with multiple forms of cancer. In addition, this contaminant has been linked to long-term damage to our nervous systems.
Read MoreSo whenever I use a lotion that seemingly soaks into my skin almost instantly, I can’t help to stop and think ‘what exactly did I just give my body to drink?’.
It can be a startling thought process to open up to. The truth is our body does absorb the ingredients in the products we put on our skin, such as body lotion. That means those chemical ingredients are getting a first class ticket to our insides.
Read MoreBlack women are 2x more likely to face fertility issues and yet we are ½ as likely to seek out medical help and receive treatment.
When we do go seek treatment or medical advice we are often met with prejudice from physicians. This bias often manifests itself as a perceived need to shame us surrounding our sex lives and even going so far as blaming the average weight of Black women.
Read MoreThink of every product you use as a bigger part of your overall health. It’s difficult to consider that what you’re putting on your eyelid could be contributing to some serious health issues. Because none of us naturally assume that putting eyeshadow on your eyelid can travel through your body and ultimately contribute to the growth of a tumor on your ovaries.
Read MoreIf you’re anything like me you already know that as Black women we are consistently trying product after product in the search for the one that is going to 1) help us regrow our edges to their natural luster and 2) keep us in that luscious place once achieved. Trial and error can be exhausting, so let me be a shining light for you.
Read MoreTalc is the uninvited Real Housewive that shows up in all the powder related products.
Even in the powder products that are made for our little queens. Look no further than this recent publication. Studies found talc and asbestos in over 2,000 makeup products sold in the past two years.
