When I initially started this blog, eco-beauty and reading labels on the back of containers wasn’t so popular. Then I got pregnant with my first child in 2014 and there I was, ashy and scared to put on deodorant because I had no clue what was in anything I owned anymore. When everything became about my baby, everything changed.
Today, I am a woman, wife, and mama who will take time to read the labels, do research on a product before buying and cover all bases to make sure what I’m using on our bodies isn’t causing more harm than good. Especially as a Black woman.
According to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, “Black women are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals in the workplace, in communities, and from cosmetics. Market research suggests that Black women spend twice as much on skincare than women in other demographics.” Read more here.
Another article notes, “In December 2016, EWG assessed almost 1,200 products marketed specifically to Black women and concluded that fewer products made without hazardous ingredients are available for this group. According to market data, Black women buy and use more personal care products than other demographic groups.
Preservatives like parabens have been linked to diminished fertility, lowered thyroid levels, and other reproductive problems.”
Right. Sit on that for a second.
As a person who relaxed her hair for 20 years, used any nail polish that had a pretty color and all types of products at the store, I actually deal with hypothyroidism AND fibroids. Both have been linked to stress and the use of hormone-disrupting products.
As a woman, I have the privilege of guiding the next generation of women on how to stay healthy and care for their bodies. I can’t do that by handing them trash products in a fancy marketed bottle. And I don’t care how cute the packaging is. We should be able to purchase items that are safe for our bodies and not have to be Inspector Gadget to make sure it doesn’t kill us.
Yeah. I said it.
Over the years I have been introduced to the amazing world of clean living and clean beauty and I can’t get enough of it! Clean beauty is certainly here to stay and I love that brands are truly taking responsibility for what they are putting into our products. From the things we clean our homes with to the beauty products I purchase and use every day, I have worked very hard to turn over labels in our home in the last 4 years and replace them with much better options! Many companies aren’t necessarily targeting Black women for their products, but many are!!! Check out this site which is dedicated to providing clean products made by Black Artisans here.
Do you know what’s in your products? Are you actively checking or actively consuming something with no understanding of what may be in it?
