Black is Beautiful: The Power and Significance of Black History Month

Black History Month is a time to celebrate and honor the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans throughout history.

It is also a time to reflect on the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality in our society. It may surprise you to know that the ingredients in many beauty products are an important part of this conversation!

Endocrine Disruptors

Exposure to chemicals in beauty products disproportionally impact women and children of color.

In my Endocrine System Workshop we dive into the research coming out of multiple universities, including the Berkeley School of Health, which looks at how chemical hair straighteners, skin lighteners and other makeup and skincare products cause estrogen-driven cancers as well as other hormone related diseases, including obesity.

​CNN wrote a compelling article about the social pressures Black women feel to change their hair, thus exposing them to toxic chemicals which according to one study puts them at risk for a six times higher rate of breast cancer.

To learn more about endocrine disruptors, check out this blog post.

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Challenges Finding Your Color

Beautycounter recognizes that the beauty industry has not always made products that represent all skin tones.

For years women of color have been limited to a small pool of choices for things like concealer, foundation and blush. There may be 15 different shades of “light” foundation, but only two shades of “dark” foundation. As a woman who wears the lightest shade of 10 different tones of “light”, I can’t imagine being relegated to two options!

Black Voices in Business

In order to honor Black History Month and shine on a light on inequality in the beauty world, Beautycounter has launched a campaign to highlight Black voices in the beauty industry and celebrate Black-owned businesses.  Beautycounter has curated a list of Black-owned beauty and wellness brands that customers can support. This not only draws attention and support to these businesses, but it also builds an important platform for women of color to share their experiences.

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We still have a lot of work to do. This month is a reminder of how important it is to take time to listen, to learn and to take action so that together we can create a healthier, more equitable and inclusive world (and beauty industry) for us all.