The injustice behind endocrine disruptors targeted at Black women

By targeting harmful products at certain communities - particularly without properly educating them about side effects - corporations, legal structures, and spending habits have enabled inequality to pervade.

In this article we will be taking a closer look at hormone imbalances in the Black community, the role that hormone disrupting products play, and the story of talc-based baby powder. Read on to learn:

• Are Black women more likely to struggle with imbalanced hormones? How do systemic inequality and socioeconomic factors influence Black women’s hormonal health?
• What are endocrine disruptors?
• Have endocrine disruptors been targeted disproportionately at Black communities, having negative outcomes on Black women’s health?
• What can I do as an individual to work toward equity and equality for Black women’s health?

Through shining light on the ways in which Black women have been unfairly targeted by companies with harmful products and sharing ways we can all work toward systemic change as individuals, we hope that our community can go forward as more educated consumers that support transparent and ethical brands in our purchasing decisions.

Hormone imbalances in the Black community

Hormone imbalances and hormone-catalyzed conditions impact women of all colors, but there are higher rates seen among the Black community. Take for example:

• Black girls tend to get their periods at a younger age, increasing their risk for cardiovascular and metabolic issues later in life (1).
• While overall breast cancer incidence is similar to white women, triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) are more prevalent among the African American community (2), and Black women have a mortality rate of 31% - higher than any other US ethnic group (3).
• Black women see lower survival rates compared to white women for ovarian and colon cancers - like breast cancer, studies have shown this is due to a combination of co-morbidities as well as unequal access to quality healthcare resources (4, 5).
• Studies have shown that Black women’s risk of developing uterine fibroids is 3x that of other ethnicities’ (6) with up to 80% of black women experiencing an issue with fibroids by the time they are 50 (7); while these tumors are non-cancerous, they can lead to to chronic lower body pain, cramping, heavy periods, and can lead to infertility, miscarriage, and pregnancy complications.

While some races are more likely to carry genes that do leave them predisposed to certain conditions, the dynamic of hormone imbalances and Black women is heavily influenced by systemic inequality that creates a vicious cycle. For example, nearly 90% of Black women were not aware of genetic testing services available for the BRCA1/2 gene, which is a key indicator for hereditary breast cancer cases (8), and higher ovarian cancer mortality rates for Black women has been linked to diagnoses made at more advanced stages and lower access to cutting edge treatment (5).

Socioeconomic factors snowball this cycle, leaving many Black communities in less secure financial, education, and safety situations than white people and most other ethnicities in the US. Less security translates to less time and energy spent on preventative health, and heightened risk for chronic conditions down the line. There is also a correlation between socioeconomic factors and lack of access to quality healthcare resources, thus intensifying this disparity.

Black products and endocrine disruptors

A major external factor that leaves Black women at a higher risk for hormone imbalances and subsequent future serious health conditions is through frequent use of endocrine disruptors.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that disrupt our natural hormone production. They may lead to immediate symptoms, catalyze hormone imbalance symptoms like fibroids, or go undetected while still impacting our long-term health.

These chemicals are all around us, from plastic bottles and scented candles to makeup products. As education about their harmful nature grows, so has awareness about a very serious issue: sellers targeted Black women with products that have been known to cause health issues due to their hormone disrupting properties. And the reproductive hormonal health of Black women has subsequently suffered.

Two classes of harmful chemicals found in many Black products are parabens and phthalates. Both are known to disrupt our hormones:

• Parabens are synthetic estrogens that have been known to cause breast and other estrogen-catalyzed cancers (10).
• Phthalates have been linked to infertility and birth defects and have also been known to be hormone-mimicking chemicals that lead to breast cancer (10).

A 2018 Environmental Research study about black hair products indicated that over 70% of products contain parabens and diethyl phthalate, and 84% of said detected chemicals were not included on product labels (9). Data points like this confirm that not only are Black-targeted products laden with ingredients that disrupt our internal balance, but they are not being transparently marketed.

Beyond this, our society has put a pressure on Black women to look a certain way. Take this excerpt sales rep Amelia Govan who was interviewed by The Guardian (11):

“Black women straighten their hair to assimilate...We have to fit in – you never see black women with braids working in corporate.”

This mindset has led to the reality that nearly 75% of Black women chemically straighten their hair, versus just 3% of white women. And, using hair straighteners every 5 to 8 weeks increases cancer risk by 31% (11).

Other beauty products aimed at the Black community that have been known to disrupt hormones include relaxers, hot oil treatment, anti frizz products, and leave-in conditioners. Studies demonstrate that across the board, Black-targeted products in these categories have higher levels of parabens, phthalates, and other harmful chemicals compared to similar products aimed at white women (9, 10, 11).

To be clear: women of all colors have been using harmful products for decades. But by nature of having different hair and bodies - and society implicitly telling Black women to look a certain way - this community has been unfairly targeted without proper education of the subsequent health risks.

This needs to change, but a host of influences has kept harmful products at the forefront of our stores.

Case study: talc-based baby powder and ovarian cancer

Baby powder is a longtime staple of beauty routines. From being a cheap dry shampoo alternative to helping with vaginal area chafing and odor, this powder has been used by decades, particularly by women of color and those in larger bodies.

Baby powder comes in two main forms: one is talc-based, and one is cornstarch-based. The former has been proven to be a carcinogen for years due to contamination from asbestos (a harmful mineral that can cause our bodily tissue to break down and lead to different types of cancers) which is often intermingled with talc underground (12).

Chances are you have heard at least whispers of the controversy over talc-based baby powder. If not - or if you need a refresher - here’s the gist: for decades, talc-based baby powder has been linked to ovarian cancer for its asbestos contamination. Evidence grew for years that signaled the powder’s harmful side effects as tens of thousands of lawsuits mounted, but some manufacturers continued marketing powder with a laser focus on converting black and larger-bodied customers.

Consider the following case study:

While some studies have indicated that there is no significant link between talc powder and ovarian cancer (19), many of these instances are not conclusive, and largely depend on the quantity of asbestos in the talc that is used.

While assumptions can certainly be drawn about the less harmful nature of more non-contaminated talc, there are several takeaways we can garner from this timeline:

• There is a link between asbestos and ovarian cancer
• Talc baby powder has been shown repeatedly, over decades, to contain asbestos
• Despite the above, some corporations continued to double down on marketing the product to black and larger-bodied women

Making change

Caring about our hormonal health and having access to quality education and medical resources is a privilege. Many Black communities have not had this privilege due to socioeconomic factors and more pervasive security concerns. For women living in fear of police brutality on a daily basis, our preaching about hormonal imbalances likely will not - and to be honest, should not - resonate.

That said, as a women’s hormonal health company it is our responsibility to educate on this issue and provide activism options across the continuum of financial and time availability for our community.  

Changing inequality in access to quality health and wellness resources will take time and consistent effort. As individuals there are ways we can encourage systemic change, starting immediately, by calling out bad actors and diverting our spending to transparent brands whose mission is to maximize consumer wellness.

Below are some organizations and petitions advocating for transparency, and well as some of our favorite Black-owned businesses that are doing just this.

GET INVOLVED: DONATE, SIGN

Over time, boycotts and class action lawsuits can work. We saw this with J&J’s recent move away from talc-based products in North America in May 2020, and were excited to see that other large corporate brands are making similar moves the day before publishing this article in June 2020.

• Sign this petition, addressed to the FDA, to advocate for more regulation around talc cosmetic, medical, and food products.
• Spread awareness about talc’s harmful health effects by singing this #TossTheTalc agreement, and share it with your friends and family.
• Boycott harmful Black hair products through joining Natasha Piette-Basheer’s #ToxicFreeHair movement.

ENABLE EQUITY WITH YOUR SPENDING HABITS

In addition to the illustrative companies below, be sure to check out some of the great roundups from Vogue, Glamour, and other larger beauty content publishers.

• The Honey Pot: Launched in 2014, The Honey Pot Company was one of the first companies to reinvent the feminine hygiene game. Their founder, Beatrice Feliu-Espada, drew from her own family heritage of using plant-based natural remedies to soothe and cure vaginal infections, and their cleansing products keep you feeling good. If you’re interested in leveling up your feminine hygiene products, visit The Honey Pot’s website or find their products at a store near you.
• Kushae: One little thing we may have left out in our baby powder manifesto: the stuff works. It keeps us dry and fresh no matter what our skin color, and if you feel like you want to keep your vaginal area smelling fresh you’re certainly not alone. Enter Kushae, an all natural-feminine care solution. Kushae was created by Dr. Barb, an OBGYN and breast cancer survivor, and has clean products like their feminine deodorant spray that can take the place of talc baby powder.
• Taliah Waajid: Taliah Waajid’s brand of natural haircare products for Black women leverages safe ingredients like shea butter, apple, and aloe. Taliah has been a leader within the Black natural hair movement for decades (she began her first business at age 14!) and has developed 4 complete haircare product lines: Natural, Curly, Protective Styling, and Children’s. The company has also expanded into skincare products.
• Unsun: Everyone needs sun protection, but most sunscreens are made for lighter skin tones and leave women of color with a dark residue post application. Unsun is an upstat suncare company targeted at those with darker skin. Another positive beyond the obvious visible benefit of no residue? Unsun is mineral-based, which means you will have sun protection instantly upon application (no waiting to go outside!) with its active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are the only 2 sunscreen ingredients labeled as “safe” by the FDA.”

Our team looks forward to turning this into a continued dialogue. If you would like to see a business, petition, or other movement working toward more transparent marketing and  labeling for Black women-targeted products featured here, please email ideas to hello@pollie.co.

Note from Pollie: If you know of similar products or stories that you think we should feature, please email them to hello@pollie.co. We look forward to making this a continuing discussion.

References

1: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6097246/

2: https://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/RaceampEthnicity.html

3: https://d124kohvtzl951.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/07230924/BCPP_African-American-Women-and-Breast-Cancer_10_24_2018.pdf

4: https://www.ajmc.com/newsroom/racial-disparities-prevalent-in-survival-of-patients-with-ovarian-colon-and-breast-cancer

5: https://ovarianresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13048-017-0355-y

6: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3787340/

7: https://www.mcleodhealth.org/blog/fibroids-greater-in-african-american-women-than-white-but-why/

8:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4393763/

9: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935118301518?via%3Dihub

10: https://bcaction.org/our-take-on-breast-cancer/environment/safe-cosmetics/

11: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/09/black-women-hair-products-chemicals-risks

12: Johnson & Johnson to End Talc-Based Baby Powder Sales in North America

13: Asbestos J&J

14: https://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-cancer/other-cancers/

15: J&J knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder

16: Special Report: As Baby Powder concerns mounted, J&J focused marketing on minority, overweight women

17: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/baby-powder-manufacturer-voluntarily-recalls-products-asbestos

18: https://www.jnj.com/our-company/johnson-johnson-consumer-health-announces-discontinuation-of-talc-based-johnsons-baby-powder-in-u-s-and-canada

19: https://www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/jama-study-finds-no-link-between-talc-powder-ovarian-cancer

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