Many hair care products marketed particularly to Black women and girls contain chemicals that are endocrine disruptors  and thus may interfere with the body’s hormone system.  Some of these chemicals are also known to cause asthma or cancer.  In this episode, we explore the chemical and cultural issues around Black hair care and interview scientists and activists who are working to ensure that safer products are available.

TO LEARN MORE:

Links to organizations and resources mentioned in this episode:

Black Women for Wellness

Black Women for Wellness Toxic-Free Beauty Pocket Guide

Center for Progressive Reform:

Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetics Database

BLK + GRN. An all-natural marketplace powered by Black women Artisans

Dove Crown Research Studies on Hair Discrimination

And a new resource as of October 2022:  Non-Toxic Black Beauty Database

In Part 2 of our mini-series on toxic chemicals in cleaning products, we  focus on the efforts of organizers, domestic workers and scientists to strive towards safe and healthy working conditions, as well as job security and benefits for those in the cleaning work sector. We speak with an organizer with the National Domestic Worker’s Alliance, a chemical engineer working to ensure that safer chemicals are used in consumer products, and a founder of a worker-owned cleaning coop. All of these solutions combined are helping to ensure that domestic workers are respected and treated with dignity, have safe working conditions, and have a path to build economic security for themselves and their families.  

TO LEARN MORE:

Links to organizations mentioned in this episode:

National Domestic Workers Alliance:  https://www.domesticworkers.org/

Make the Road NY:  https://maketheroadny.org/

Safe and Just Cleaners: https://safeandjustcleaners.org/

Women’s Voices for the Earth:  https://www.womensvoices.org/

ALIA:  https://www.myalia.org/

Toxics Use Reduction Institute:  https://www.turi.org/

Brazilian Women’s Group:http://verdeamarelo.org/bwg/

Vida Verde:   http://verdeamarelo.org/vidaverde/

Hand in Hand:  https://domesticemployers.org/

Resources to identify safer cleaning products:

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safer Choice:  https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice

US Environmental Protection Agency DFE certified disinfectants:https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-labels/dfe-certified-disinfectants

Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) List of Safer Disinfectant Products:  https://www.turi.org/Our_Work/Cleaning_Laboratory/COVID-19_Safely_Clean_Disinfect/Safer_Disinfecting_Products/List_of_Safer_Disinfecting_Products

City of San Francisco - SF Approved cleaning products:  https://www.sfapproved.org/cleaners-homes-small-businesses

Green Seal:  https://greenseal.org/

EcoLogo: https://www.ul.com/services/ecologo-certification

Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Registry:  https://www.c2ccertified.org/products/registry

Environmental Working Group (EWG) Verified™:  https://www.ewg.org/ewgverified/cleaning-products.php

Apps:

Clearya:  https://www.clearya.com/

Think Dirty:  https://thinkdirtyapp.com/

Detox Me:  https://silentspring.org/detox-me-app-tips-healthier-living