Phthalates & Black Women’s Health

Why Black Women Need to Care

There’s a new study about phthalates making headlines. It links common ingredients in beauty products to changes in newborn brain development. 

It’s not just a story about prenatal exposure. This is about Black women’s health, consumer product racism, and the price we pay for beauty standards that don’t include us.

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors—chemicals that can mess with our hormones. They show up in products labeled as “fragrance,” and they are in things from hair oils and body lotions to shower gels and styling creams. 

BTW. Products that are historically pushed hardest in Black communities. Products we’re expected to use to be“presentable.” 

The real issue is how the beauty industry has been allowed to market risk—directly to us—without regulation, transparency, or accountability. And while clean beauty is trending (now), too often it’s inaccessible, not inclusive. To put it simple, if the beauty industry didn’t consider Black women then, it won’t consider them now. 

Unless we demand something different. 

We’re not just talking about safer swaps. We’re talking about reclaiming the right to be well, to be safe, to raise our babies free from toxic harm.

The Science: How Phthalates Sabotage Black Mothers & Babies

Phthalates are a chemical - a chemical that crosses the placenta.

Phthalates don’t just sit on your skin either. They travel through the bloodstream, pass into the womb, and can disrupt the neurodevelopment of babies before they take their first breath. These chemicals are changing how our children’s brains develop at the molecular level.

Before I go further, I want you to consider not just the perfume you use, but how many products that you use in one day have fragrance as an ingredient…

Let’s break it down.

In a study of over 200 mothers and their newborns, scientists tracked phthalate exposure by measuring chemical byproducts in maternal urine samples during early and mid-pregnancy. After the babies were born, their blood was analyzed. The results? Lower levels of key amino acids like tyrosine and tryptophan—the building blocks of neurotransmitters responsible for attention, mood regulation, memory, and stress response.

Tyrosine helps produce dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine—essential for focus, emotional regulation, and the fight-or-flight response. Tryptophan turns into serotonin, the “feel good” chemical responsible for mood, sleep, and learning. When those levels are low during pregnancy, the brain development of the fetus is altered. This disruption has been linked to greater risk of attention issues, behavioral challenges, and developmental delays, including conditions like ADHD and autism.

And here’s where it hits harder: Black women are more exposed. 

That’s not by accident. It’s by design.

From early childhood, we’re funneled into products that promise to tame, polish, or correct us. Hair grease, scented lotions, edge control, body sprays—all of it marketed with heavy fragrance, all of it likely to contain phthalates. And because phthalates aren’t always listed by name, they show up as “fragrance,” “parfum,” or disappear completely from the label. 

The result? A silent buildup of exposure that can follow us—and our children—for life.

We can’t talk about Black maternal health without naming this layer. The connection between endocrine disruptors and neurodevelopment is science. It’s been studied for decades. What’s different now is the data showing how early the damage starts—and how racialized product use patterns worsen that risk.

Okay. Let’s pause.

I don’t want to lose you in fear or exhaustion. I know… it feels like everything is toxic.

What I do want is for you to have the truth that the industry isn’t telling. Because it’s not enough to say “avoid toxins” when the toxins are in everything you’re told you need to look presentable. It’s not enough to say “make better choices” when the safer choices are hard to find or out of reach.

What we need is structural change. But while we fight for that, we also deserve clear, accessible information to protect ourselves now.

When we talk about how phthalates change our babies’ brain chemistry, we also have to talk about the conditions in which Black women are expected to carry, birth, and parent children. High stress. Medical neglect. Over-policing. Low access to care. The body is carrying more than just chemicals—it’s carrying generations of survival.

So what can you do?

How to Protect Yourself: Clean Beauty Swaps

It should not be on us to fix what the beauty industry broke - I know. But while the regulations drag and the industry continues to sell harm disguised as self-care, we still have to navigate what’s on the shelf right now. 

First, let’s talk about labels (use that link for an easy way to understand what you should be looking for). 

Phthalates won’t always be listed outright. You might see:

• Fragrance or Parfum — these are catch-alls for hidden chemical blends, including phthalates.

• DEP, DBP, BBzP — these are common phthalate compounds.

• Anything without full ingredient transparency? Be skeptical.

Better rule of thumb: if a brand can’t or won’t tell you what’s in it, that’s a red flag. We need ingredient transparency, not marketing spin. Here are three additional ways to understand ingredients.

Now let’s talk swaps: here is a trusted resource for cleaner Black-owned products —not just cleaner, but for us.
And let me be clear…

This is not about throwing everything out at once. Start with one product—maybe the one you use every day, or the one with the strongest smell. That’s often where phthalates hide.
And if cost feels like a barrier, you’re not alone. That’s why supporting and sharing Black-owned clean beauty brands matters. When we shift our dollars and raise demand, we build pressure for safer, more affordable options. 

Sites like BLK + GRN are a great place to browse vetted, toxin-free products by Black makers.

The goal here isn’t perfection—it’s protection. A safer bathroom shelf. Fewer mystery ingredients. A future where our beauty doesn’t come with a hidden health tax.

So spend wisely. Share loudly. Ask questions. Push back.

Because your voice can shift the narrative. Your dollar can shift the market. And together, we can shift what’s considered acceptable.

We’ve been told this is about choice. But when every aisle is stacked with harm, that’s not choice—it’s neglect. Demanding change is about refusing to accept that our health should come last