Beauty’s Not-So-Pretty Side

Anew study from Columbia Mailman School and the nonprofit WE ACT for Environmental Justice reveals that women and femme-identifying people continue to use chemical hair straighteners and skin lighteners linked to poor health outcomes, likely due to beauty norms rooted in racism.

Studies have tied hair relaxer use with earlier age of first menstrual period and increased risk of uterine fibroids, uterine cancer, and breast cancer. Skin lighteners can contain corticosteroids, linked to metabolic problems, and mercury, which is tied to nervous system damage. While evidence suggests chemical straightener use has declined among Black women, who are the primary users of these products, skin lightener use by Asian women remains steady. (About 1 in 5 non-Hispanic Black women currently use straightening products, the study found.)

When respondents were asked whether they thought others believe that straight hair or light skin make women look more beautiful or professional, about half agreed. Although fewer than half said that they personally felt that way, those who did were

1,700 Number most likely to use the products. “Beauty norms shaped by historical and present-day racism and sexism continue to determine the use of these products,” says study first author Lariah Edwards, PhD, associate research scientist in Environmental Health Sciences. Adds co-senior author Ami Zota, ScD, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences, “Programs and policies are needed to counteract natural hair discrimination and colorism. Educating consumers could motivate them to advocate for the Safer Beauty Bill Package, which ensures safer products for all.”

Concerns around beauty aren’t limited to adults. Other researchers in Environmental Health Sciences have found that 79 percent of parents say their children 12 or younger use makeup and body products marketed to children. These products often contain lead, asbestos, and phthalates. Latino children were especially likely to use the products. “Children’s small size and developing tissues make them susceptible to toxins,” says study senior author Julie Herbstman, PhD, professor of Environmental Health Sciences and director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health.

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