Women of colour are being exposed to more toxic chemicals in their beauty products than white women, says new research

We already know that women of colour are seriously under-served by the beauty industry.

Major brands fail to provide shades for a range of skintones. ‘Nude’ lipsticks only work on white skin. Women of colour have to go to specialist brands, which often cost more, just to get products that match.

And there’s another way women of colour are being screwed over by the beauty industry, according to a new report.

According to a report published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, women of colour are coming into contact with more toxic chemicals than white women.

This is because, on average, women of colour tend to use cosmetic products that aim to comply with European beauty standards – meaning bleaching creams, hair relaxers, and other extreme methods to alter their appearance.

Researchers noted that black, Asian, and Latina women in the US spend more money on beauty products than the national average.

They believe that this is down to racist standards of beauty, which put pressure on women of colour to use more products to meet certain ‘ideals’.

As a result of using more beauty products, women of colour are being exposed to more toxic chemicals.

That’s an issue, because the authors suggest that even exposure to a small amount of these toxins can lead to health problems.

‘Pressure to meet Western standards of beauty means black, Latina and Asian American women are using more beauty products and thus are exposed to higher levels of chemicals known to be harmful to health,’ said researcher Ami Zota.

‘Beauty product use is a critical but underappreciated source of reproductive harm and environmental injustice.’

But it’s not just that women of colour are using more products. It’s also that many of the products they use are dangerous.

Beauty products aimed to lighten skin tend to contain ingredients such as topical steroids or mercury, both of which can cause serious damage. Hair straightening chemicals, meanwhile, often contain estrogen, which can trigger early reproductive development in young girls, and issues relating to

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