Publishes first-ever list of beauty products free of toxic ingredients
(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Today, the California Black Health Network (CBHN) in collaboration with Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC), launched the Non-Toxic Black Beauty Project. The organizations unveiled a list of Top Non-Toxic Black-Owned Beauty Brands, which features U.S. companies led by Black entrepreneurs that are creating safer beauty products, free of the toxic ingredients that are linked to health concerns disproportionately impacting Black women. Created as a sortable database of products, the Non-Toxic Black Beauty Project was specifically designed to help consumers find clean products from a source they can trust and represents the first comprehensive effort to generate a list of chemicals of concern in Black beauty products that should be avoided by consumers, cosmetic manufacturers, and retailers.
“We are excited to collaborate with Breast Cancer Prevention Partners on The Non-Toxic Black Beauty Project and share this important information with our community as part of our efforts to get to the root causes of health disparities, empower the community to be more proactive about their health and wellness, and enable Black women to make more informed decisions for themselves and their families,” says Rhonda Smith, Executive Director of the California Black Health Network. “It is critical that we educate the community about the risks associated with the products that we use every day, and that safer options are available.”
CBHN works to elevate the level of health literacy for Black Californians and raise awareness of the impact of exposure to toxic chemicals on their health, well-being, and safety. It’s imperative Black individuals in particular know about the safety and health risks associated with hair and personal care products in order to avoid toxic chemicals that can contribute to the development of maternal health issues, breast cancer, diabetes, and more.
The 80 small and medium-sized businesses that made the list raise the bar for ingredient safety and lead the movement to address the injustice of Black beauty by selling products free of CSC’s 241 “Do Not Use” Red List Chemicals of Concern in Cosmetics. CSC vetted all 700+ products included in the first-ever searchable database for safety and verified them to be free of harmful chemicals linked to health concerns like cancer, diabetes, early puberty, endometriosis, infertility, maternal health, pregnancy complications, and uterine fibroids.
By eliminating chemicals negatively impacting Black women’s health, these beauty companies have made a significant commitment to protecting their customers’ health and well-being. They are also helping to reduce the disproportionate toxic burden that Black women face from unsafe chemicals in the products they use, which can help prevent the development of chronic diseases like breast and ovarian cancer.
“We are thrilled to announce the launch of our searchable database of safe Black beauty products,” said Janet Nudelman, Director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a program of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners. “These leading Black entrepreneurs are making safer beauty products that won’t harm the health of Black women and girls. We hope that more companies will follow their lead and grow the clean Black beauty industry by selling safe beauty and personal care products that Black women can trust.”
The Non-Toxic Black Beauty Project was guided by an Advisory Committee made up of leading non-profit organizations and scientists working to improve Black women’s health.
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For more information, please visit: https://www.cablackhealthnetwork.org/black-beauty-project/.
About California Black Health Network
The California Black Health Network (CBHN) is the voice and trusted resource for Black health equity in California. Founded in1983,CBHN is the only Black-led, statewide organization dedicated to advocating for health equity for all African Americans and Black Immigrants in California. Connect with CBHN:
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