Racist beauty standards are driving the use of beauty products that are often contaminated with chemicals that alter the human endocrine system, cause organ damage, and spur cancer in communities of color, according to new research. Lack of regulation Chemical straighteners and skin lighteners — beauty products frequently used among Black and Asian Americans —sometimes contain harmful ingredients such as formaldehyde, mercury, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Credit: Rendy Novantino/Unsplash Researchers have found hazardous chemicals in numerous beauty products available in the U.S. Yet there are few regulations in place to keep consumers safe from potentially toxic beauty products. The Food and Drug Administration, for example, does not approve beauty products before they’re sold by stores and does not have the power to recall beauty products shown to impact human health.

Source: New York Times January 18, 2023 15:05 UTC