Nearly 80 percent of products marketed to Black women contain hazardous ingredients. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit, non-partisan organization working to protect environmental health by changing industry standards, in partnership with BLK+GRN founder Kristian Edwards, DrPH (doctor of public health), analyzed more than 4,000 beauty and personal care products marketed to Black women. What they found was that Black women face increased exposure to hazardous chemicals from personal care products marketed to them. Only 21 percent of the products analyzed received a low-hazard rating.
“Nearly a decade after our first report, Black women are still being exposed to higher hazards in personal care products,” says Alexa Friedman, Ph.D., EWG senior scientist. “The cosmetics industry continues to fail consumers by not ensuring safer products. No one should have to worry that their daily beauty routine is putting their health at risk—low-hazard products should be available to everyone,” she says.
Edwards founded BLK+GRN, a curated marketplace highlighting toxic-free personal-care products by Black women entrepreneurs, after reading EWG’s 2016 report, which revealed similar findings. “The 2025 report makes it clear that consumer awareness is still required to ensure Black women aren’t exposed to hazardous chemicals in personal care products,” says Edwards.
Ingredients Causing Concern
While the use of some hazardous ingredients like parabens has decreased, undisclosed “fragrance” chemicals in products marketed to Black women have increased 6.4 percent since 2016. These fragrance blends can contain hundreds of chemicals, some of which can produce adverse effects such as triggering allergic reactions, headaches, skin irritation, and more. Some may also mimic estrogen and are linked to hormone disruption, thyroid issues, and other health risks.
Certain fragrance ingredients, such as lilial, have been banned in the European Union due to their potential impact on fertility. The EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety determined that exposure to multiple products containing lilial can pose health risks, including hormone disruption and effects on fetal development. Unfortunately, no such ban exists in the U.S.
“Studies show that repeated exposure to mixtures of chemicals can pose far greater risks than exposure to a single ingredient,” says Friedman. “People are exposed to complex mixtures of ingredients that can disrupt hormones, interfere with fertility, and increase the risk of cancers and other serious issues. The beauty industry has failed to address this toxic burden, leaving women—especially Black women—to bear the brunt of these ongoing, potentially toxic exposures.”
Other concerning ingredients include quaternary ammonium compounds, or quads, which are often found in hair conditioners. They have been linked to skin irritation, asthma, and potential reproductive harm. Preservatives, such as isothiazolinones and formaldeyhyde-releasers, can cause lung toxicity and expose consumers to formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
Racialized beauty standards, like hair straightening and bleaching, also increase the impact on Black women. Many of the ingredients in hair relaxers and dyes have been linked with an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer in Black women.
Lack of Oversight at the Federal Level
Even though it is a known carcinogen, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to bat formaldehyde in hair-straightening products. A proposed ban has been delayed numerous times. “The federal government has failed to prioritize women’s health—by allowing hazardous chemicals to remain in the beauty products marketed to them,” says Melanie Benesh, EWG vice president for government affairs. “The FDA has known for more than a decade that formaldehyde in hair straighteners poses serious health risks. Thankfully, states are stepping up to do what the federal government has not, setting critical precedent of accountability in the beauty industry and protecting consumers from hazardous chemicals.”
California led the charge with its 2020 Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act, banning 24 harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde, from cosmetics starting on January 1, 2025. Maryland enacted a similar law in 2021, while Oregon and Washington introduced their own bans on ingredients in personal-care products, such as “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, mercury and formaldehyde releasers. Their laws go into effect in 2027 and 2026.
With the current administration’s disdain for the importance of government oversight, it is unlikely that the FDA will take meaningful action on this issue anytime soon. However, consumers still have the power to make safer choices. Until federal protections are put in place, they can look for products with the EWG Verified mark, which are free from harmful chemicals and meets the Environmental Working Group’s strictest health standards. Tools like the Skin Deep data base and other platforms, like BLK+GRN, that vet ingredients can also help consumers make more informed decisions about the products they use.
“Consumers looking to reduce their exposure to harmful ingredients can use the Skin Deep database to find safer alternatives free from chemicals like lilial, quats, and undisclosed fragrance,” says Hong Lin, EWG scientist.
