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beauty

Toxic Beauty: Black Women Most at Risk From Harmful Chemicals in Unregulated Hair Products

Hair extensions used primarily by Black women contain a “shocking” range of dangerous chemicals, including breast carcinogens, new research shows.

By Liza Gross

A hairdresser braids a client’s hair with synthetic hair extensions in Lusaka, Zambia, on Aug. 15, 2023. Credit: Lillian Banda/Xinhua via Getty Images
Heather McTeer Toney, a former official with the Environmental Protection Agency, has made it her personal mission to raise awareness among Black women, in particular, and in the African American community, in general, about the potential harms of chemicals in beauty products and other items. Credit: Timothy Ivy

For One Environmentalist, Warning Black Women About Dangerous Beauty Products Allows Them to Own Their Health

By Victoria St. Martin

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