The Ugly Truth About Black Women and Makeup

No one - at least from the camp of Clean Beauty for Black Girls - is ever going to suggest that you give up the things you love.

Lipsticks. Eye shadows. Bronzers. Lotions. Bath oils. And everything in between.

What we are going to do, however, is tell you the ugly truth about what you’re doing to your body and your health when you don’t choose safer. 

We are going to alert you to the potential harm you’re doing to yourself if you don’t read ingredient labels. 

One other thing we have to tell you is the true power you have when it comes to this space & this industry, in particular. 

Let’s just walk through some facts, shall we? And why they matter…

Black women own the ethnic beauty market. Out of the $63 million that is spent in the ethnic beauty market, Black people account for $54 million of that spending. That is 86% of the market. 

In 2017, Black women spent $465 on skincare. That also means Black women spend 9 times as much as their counterparts. 

Women of color have larger disparities when it comes to reproductive health. Black women, specifically, are 3 times as likely to have fibroids.

And this - 22% of Black women buy a product based on its fragrance. 

All this says to me is a few things:

• Black dollars matter. Period. Black women influence the market & what is best for the Black woman’s health is going to ultimately be the best for everyone’s health. 

• Black women have power in their spending. So ask yourself. Who will you spend with? Who is marketing to you? Who is the product created for? What is the intention of the company/brand in creating such a product? 

• Colorism has a lot to do with our buying behaviors. Especially when it comes to fragrance and smelling good.

I want to remind you what is at stake when we don’t pay attention and use our influence to demand safer products. In using products that include toxic ingredients we are exposing ourselves to endocrine disruption, development & reproductive health, breast cancer, allergies, asthma, etc. 

Now. If we have the power and the influence. Why would we not be using that for good?

Challenge: Check out the brands we have listed on the website, replace your next empty product with a safer alternative, share this blog post, and comment below with your favorite Black owned clean beauty brand.