Decolonizing beauty is an important conversation in the beauty industry and it's crucial that we include the perspectives and experiences of Black women in this conversation. The mainstream beauty industry has long been dominated by Eurocentric standards of beauty, which often exclude and marginalize Black women and other women of color.
Read MoreOne of the most concerning potential effects of parabens is their link to breast cancer. Studies have found that parabens can be found in breast tissue, and some researchers believe that they may contribute to the development of breast cancer. Black women have a higher risk of developing and dying from breast cancer than white women, and this may be partly due to their exposure to parabens in cosmetics and personal care products.
Read MoreBlack women are exposed to more environmental chemical exposures. When Black women have higher and more frequent contact points with certain chemical ingredients - such as phthalates and heavy metals - they are at a greater risk for hormone disruption and cancer.
Read MoreTalc is often found in products that feel velvety smooth - like eyeshadow and face & body powders. Women who have used baby powder were at twice the risk of getting ovarian cancer. It’s an act of violence to be utilizing racism to capitalize on Black women, who have historically been taught that smelling good is directly attached to their worth and value in this world.
You can start with one product. One area of your life. You can start by replacing products that run out with a safer alternative next time. Small steps matter when they are being made in the right direction and for the right reasons. The truth is many chronic diseases - especially the ones that have high numbers in the Black community - are a greater burden and have links to toxic chemical exposures.
Read MoreThose of us who have been blessed with melanin also know the struggle of dealing with dark spots and hyperpigmentation. That makes proper skin care that much more important. Vitamin C also helps protect your skin from free radical damage and oxidative stress. That means it helps keep your skin protected from the sun and pollution.
Read MoreFor a brand to be clean beauty, the main vein is transparency. Clean beauty is free of ingredients linked to harmful health side effects. To take it a step further, it means a brand that doesn’t use ingredients that cause endocrine disruption and include carcinogens.
Read MoreFrom the links to early deaths to being found in an alarming amount of fast food - their ability to lurk unnoticed & cause harm seems to be on the downfall.
Phthalates are a chemical that is used in plastics to make them flexible & softer. They are also used as a binding agent and a solvent in personal care products. The CDC has told us the truth that is phthalates exist in almost every American body - in measurable levels.
Read MoreBlack 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?
Read MoreThe FDA does not: Evaluate and register new cosmetic ingredients, Test individual cosmetic products, Require approval before cosmetic products are introduced to the market. Beauty companies don’t even have to share safety information - in regards to their products - with the FDA. Any recalls that happen are voluntary in most cases, as the FDA is not authorized to call & enforce them when it comes to cosmetics.
Read MoreSince most studies that are currently done to determine the health effects of chemicals in products largely leave out the specified health of Black women, such an organization is not just necessary - it is crucial. Among all the products the EWG tested in their study of products marketed to Black women, hair products were glaringly worse by comparison.
Read MoreIt is our promise to not only get to know the Black women who create & own these brands, but to also test the products & read through their ingredient lists in order to determine if it is truly a safer option. We want to elevate brands that avoid the ingredients we at Clean Beauty for Black Girls see as being of the highest concern.
Read MoreDo you think about sustainable packaging when you make a purchase?
If you’re like the majority of Americans, the answer is going to be “hardly”.
That needs to change… especially when you consider that 70% of packaging from the consumer products goods industry is not recycled. That means most of what we use end up in the landfills.
Read MoreSure, 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 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 More
