Beauty norms drive use of potentially toxic products
Beauty norms drive use of potentially toxic products
Women of colour using hair straighteners, skin lighteners to be perceived by others as more beautiful, younger, wealthier or more professional (1,200 words, 6 minutes)
A recent study from the U.S. has examined how racialized beauty standards motivate women to use chemical hair straighteners and skin lighteners. In their sample, they found the use of hair straighteners has declined among Black women, while skin lightener use has remained steady among Asian women.
The study was published online ahead of print in Environmental Justice (Jan. 18, 2023).
In a press release from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where the data analysis was conducted, the authors note that racialized beauty norms have typically prioritized straight hair and light skin.
They write:
“The disproportionate burden of toxic chemicals from beauty products among women of colour is an environmental injustice of beauty since intersectional systems of oppression (i.e., racism, sexism, classism) influence Eurocentric beauty norms (e.g., societal preferences for light skin and straight hair) and racialized beauty practices, all of which can have long term consequences on the health and wellbeing of marginalized populations.”
To try to characterize product use by demographics and investigate how racialized beauty norms impact use, the researchers surveyed 297 female and femme-identifying individuals in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx neighbourhoods of New York City. The survey was conducted in partnership with the environmental justice group WE ACT for Environmental Justice, as part of WE ACT’s Beauty Inside Out campaign.
Some of their findings included:
Chemical straighteners
44% of female respondents and 34% of femme-identifying individuals reported use at any time in the past
15% and 13%, respectively, reported current use
Among non-Hispanic Black respondents, 60% reported ever use and 19% reported current use
50% of all respondents said they think others believe straight hair makes women more beautiful
Similar results were found when respondents were asked if straight hair makes women look younger, wealthier, or more professional
Skin lighteners
25% of female respondents and 22% of femme-identifying respondents reported ever using skin lighteners
16% and 9%, respectively, reported current use
57% of Asian respondents reported ever and current use
50% reported they thought others find light skin more beautiful
Similar results were seen for questions about lighter skin making women appear younger, wealthier, or more professional
“We found evidence that racialized beauty norms that are shaped by historical and present-day racism and sexism continue to determine the use of these products,” said the study’s first author Lariah Edwards, PhD, an associate research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia Mailman, in the release.
“Respondents’ perceptions that others believe straight hair and/or lighter skin confer benefits were associated with greater product use.”
The researchers caution that while there appears to be a decline in the use of chemical straighteners by Black women, there is a shortage of data on the composition of hair products meant for natural hairstyles.
They also suggest that the lack of a similar decline in the use of skin lighteners is in part due to the ready availability of poorly-regulated products online.
Bottom line: While the use of hair straighteners is declining, the use of skin lightening products remains quite common, especially among individuals of Asian descent. Much of the use of these products seems driven by a desire to be seen positively in the eyes of others.
From the literature on hair straightening and skin lightening
The environmental injustice of beauty products: Toward clean and equitable beauty
This review examines the existing literature on the connections between intersectional systems of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism, and classism), racialized beauty practices, unequal chemical exposures, and adverse health outcomes. The authors note that while much of the early literature focused on unequal chemical burdens among Black and Latina women, more recent research has extended the investigation into other minority populations.
In addition to the review, the authors also discuss potential efforts that can be made to correct these inequities in exposures and outcomes.
A systematic review of mercury exposures from skin-lightening products
This review was based on data contained in 41 peer-reviewed scientific papers from 22 countries worldwide published between 2000 and 2022.
From that data, the investigators captured mercury concentration values from 787 skin-lightening product samples [overall pooled central median mercury level was 0.49 μg/g; interquartile range (IQR): 0.02–5.9] and 1,042 human biomarker measurements from 863 individuals.
They also synthesized usage information from 3,898 individuals and self-reported health impacts associated with using mercury-containing products from 832 individuals.
Their findings suggest that mercury is widely used as an active ingredient in many skin-lightening products worldwide and that users are at risk of variable and often high exposures.
Chemicals of concern in personal care products used by women of colour in three communities in California
This study quantifies chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive or developmental harm, or endocrine disruption in personal care products (PCPs) used by women of colour in three California communities.
The authors documented PCPs in stores frequented by Black, Latina, and Vietnamese women and assessed chemicals of concern (CoCs) listed on the labels of 546 unique hair, skin, makeup, nail, deodorant/perfume, and intimate care products.
Community partners then chose 31 products for a combined targeted and suspect screen using two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis to detect chemicals not listed on the labels.
Researchers found that 65% of labels included CoCs, and 74% of labels had undisclosed ingredients listed as "fragrance." The most prevalent chemicals were parabens, cyclosiloxanes, and formaldehyde releasers. Spectrometry analysis revealed additional CoCs, including fragrances, solvents, preservatives, ultraviolet filters, and contaminants.
Public interest in skin lightening across the United States, January 2015-December 2020
The authors of this article examined trends in consumer interest in skin lightening using a Google Trends query of four search terms: "skin lightening," "skin brightening," "skin whitening," and "skin bleaching," across the U.S. from 2015 to 2020.
Their findings show that skin lightening is most popular in states with diverse populations, including a high percentage of Black and Asian Americans.
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At the intersection of skin and society
A home and clinic once owned by Nova Scotia’s first Black physician was granted heritage status on Jan. 24, 2023, after an effort by prominent members of the city’s Black community to ensure its protection, reports Global News.
Dr. Clement Ligoure, originally from Trinidad, graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. in 1916 with a medical degree. He then moved to Halifax.
Denied hospital privileges in Halifax, Dr. Ligoure opened a clinic in his home, which he called the Amanda Private Hospital—named after his mother.
Halifax regional council voted in favour of adding the turn-of-the-century house to the registry of heritage properties. One councillor, Lindell Smith, suggested that Dr. Ligoure’s former home could be transformed into a health clinic for the African Nova Scotian community.
Coun. Smith, whose north-end district includes the house, said the city should do more than install a plaque on the two-storey rental property on North Street, Global News reported.
“I don’t think we should rely on buildings to preserve Black heritage,” he told the council meeting. “There’s a lot more to it.”
Dr. Ligoure is also recognized for treating hundreds of victims of the Dec. 6, 1917, Halifax harbour explosion.
This week
Feb. 6 is International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
Feb. 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science
February is Raynauds Awareness Month in the U.K.
Something to think about in the week ahead…
Next week
Dr. Monica K. Li discussed some of the specific cosmetic applications of injectable neuromodulators that her Asian patients request during a talk at the 8th annual Skin Spectrum Summit on Sept. 17, 2022.
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