A new analysis finds 80% of more than 4,000 beauty products marketed toward Black women contain at least one moderately hazardous ingredient – and most contain multiple.
The analysis follows a 2016 study with similar findings, and the authors suspect the chemical load in products like hair straighteners and skin lightening creams probably contributes to elevated rates of some diseases in Black women, including uterine and breast cancers.
The authors say they are disappointed little progress has been made since 2016. While the federal government targeted a small number of hazardous substances during Joe Biden’s administration, Donald Trump’s administration may reverse what little progress was made. The authors say it is up to state governments and the beauty industry to act.
“The cosmetics industry continues to fail consumers by not ensuring safer products,” said Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist and study co-author with the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a public health advocacy non-profit.
“No one should have to worry that their daily beauty routine is putting their health at risk.”
EWG compared product ingredient lists with its database that assess health risks for tens of thousands of chemicals, and categorizes them as low, moderate or high hazard. The findings are especially worrisome because women use multiple products that each may contain any number of chemicals, Friedman said.
Among the toxins are formaldehyde, which is most commonly used as an embalming fluid, but is also added to hair straighteners popular with Black women. The Food and Drug Administration began implementing a ban on its use in hair products last year, but the Trump administration has since moved to undo it.
Another ingredient of concern is quats, a toxic compound added to hair conditioners to help evenly distribute the product throughout hair. The chemicals are also used in home disinfectant wipes, and are linked to reproductive harm and cancer. Meanwhile, preservatives such as isothiazolinones used in cosmetics can damage the respiratory system.
There was an increase since 2016 in the use of “fragrance”, a catch-all term for any number of thousands of chemicals, of which about 1,600 are linked to serious health problems, including death.
Some disclosed fragrance ingredients, such as lilial, have been banned in the European Union because they can harm fertility. The EU’s consumer safety commission found using multiple products that contain lilial at the same time can disrupt hormones and affect fetal development.
The analysis did find some good news: eight out of nine of the chemicals EWG identified as the most dangerous decreased in use between 2016 and 2025. For example, there was a 6% drop in the use of parabens, a chemical added as a preservative to prevent mold in beauty products, but which is linked to a range of reproductive harms.
States have been at the forefront of pushing manufacturers to clean up cosmetics. California’s 2020 Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act banned 24 harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde, while Maryland passed a similar law in 2021. Several states are implementing bans on the addition of single common toxic ingredients, such as Pfas.
The bans in individual states creates pressure on companies to reformulate their products with safer ingredients for the entire country because it is logistically difficult to produce different formulas for different regions.
In the meantime, consumers need to do due diligence to protect themselves. EWG offers a database that evaluates the safety of more than 120,000 personal care products, many with links to where they can be purchased.
“Although we have seen some improvements, it’s still really, really important for consumers to be intentional users,” said Kristin Edwards, a study co-author who founded Blk + Grn, a company that sells non-toxic beauty products, after the 2016 report.
