We already know that women of colour are seriously under-served by the beauty industry.

Makeup brand slammed for naming liquid blush after Anne Frank

Major brands fail to provide shades for a range of skintones. ‘Nude’ lipsticks only work on white skin. Women of colour have to go to specialist brands, which often cost more, just to get products that match.

And there’s another way women of colour are being screwed over by the beauty industry, according to a new report.

According to a report published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, women of colour are coming into contact with more toxic chemicals than white women.


This is because, on average, women of colour tend to use cosmetic products that aim to comply with European beauty standards – meaning bleaching creams, hair relaxers, and other extreme methods to alter their appearance.



Researchers noted that black, Asian, and Latina women in the US spend more money on beauty products than the national average.

They believe that this is down to racist standards of beauty, which put pressure on women of colour to use more products to meet certain ‘ideals’.

As a result of using more beauty products, women of colour are being exposed to more toxic chemicals.

That’s an issue, because the authors suggest that even exposure to a small amount of these toxins can lead to health problems.

‘Pressure to meet Western standards of beauty means black, Latina and Asian American women are using more beauty products and thus are exposed to higher levels of chemicals known to be harmful to health,’ said researcher Ami Zota.

‘Beauty product use is a critical but underappreciated source of reproductive harm and environmental injustice.’

But it’s not just that women of colour are using more products. It’s also that many of the products they use are dangerous.

Beauty products aimed to lighten skin tend to contain ingredients such as topical steroids or mercury, both of which can cause serious damage. Hair straightening chemicals, meanwhile, often contain estrogen, which can trigger early reproductive development in young girls, and issues relating to the reproductive system.

The research also notes that marketing efforts have encouraged black women to use douching products through ideas of cleanliness and odour reduction. Douching isn’t necessary, and can seriously damage the vagina – so this is a concern.

The research comes after a previous study noted that while 40% of products marketed to the general public pose a ‘minimal threat’ to women because of their ingredients, that number drops to 25% when it comes to products marketed specifically for black women.

That suggests that women of colour not only have a limited range of products to choose from, but that they have an even more limited range of products on offer that are actually safe.

While in the US, cosmetics are mostly unregulated by the FDA, all cosmetic products supplied in the UK must comply with the European Cosmetics Regulation, which requires safety assessments, the listing of ingredients, and availability of further information about what chemicals in products actually do.

But considering how easy it is to order US beauty products from Amazon and other international websites, it’s worth being concerned.



The researchers hope that their report will encourage health professionals to counsel their patients about the risks of hidden chemicals in beauty products, and to increase the level of testing products have to go through before they’re on our shelves.

MORE: Metallic painted photoshoot celebrates the beauty of plus-size bodies

MORE: No, blackface isn’t a tribute or a joke – it’s always offensive

MORE: Makeup lovers are putting highlighter on their ears

Advertisement Advertisement