Many of us know the long history of hazardous ingredients in hair treatments aimed at Black women. Have you ever considered that the ingredients in over-the-counter beauty products marketed for Black women and consumers could be disproportionately dangerous, too? According to the Environmental Working Group’s 2025 analysis of products marketed toward Black women, the risk is more substantial than you may think.
EWG Finds 1 or Multiple Dangerous Ingredients in Over 3,000 Beauty Products for Black Women
EWG’s 2025 analysis is a follow-up to a 2016 study analyzing the ingredients within Black beauty products. The analysis found that 80 percent of more than 4,000 beauty products targeted at Black women contained at least one dangerous ingredient, with many containing multiple. Since 2016, the authors of the study say that very little progress has been made in making beauty products for Black women safer and more effective.
The EWG analysis looked at the ingredients within 4,000 beauty products made for Black women. Assessing the list of tens of thousands of dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde, the study categorized each product as either high, moderate or low hazard. Alarmingly, over 3,000 of the 4,000 studied products had at least moderate hazard, with a substantial number having high hazard ratings, meaning more than one dangerous chemical is present in the formula. “The cosmetics industry continues to fail consumers by not ensuring safer products,” a senior scientist and study co-author with the EWG, Alexa Friedman told The Guardian. “No one should have to worry that their daily beauty routine is putting their health at risk.” For a full list of the products studied and where each falls in terms of hazardous chemicals, click here.
