SafHER BLK Beauty: Safer Beauty Choices for Black Women
Our Beauty Is Unmatched—But Is It Safe?
Have you ever read about safHER beauty choices for Black women like us? Let’s keep it real. We come from a legacy of queens. Our melanin is magic, our curls defy gravity, and our beauty is a reflection of our strength. But here’s the question: Is our beauty routine safe?
The hard truth? It’s not always. A recent EWG report found that nearly 80% of personal care products marketed to Black women contain harmful chemicals—ingredients linked to hormone disruption, reproductive issues, and even cancer. These aren’t just numbers. These are red flags that have been ignored for far too long.
Shout out to FOR THE BREAST OF US for having our founder, Tiah Tomlin-Harris, take the stage for Breast Cancer BaddieCon: Survivorship Reimagined. It was a great opportunity to highlight the urgent need for safHER beauty products for Black women and talk about SafHER BLK Beauty—a movement that educates, advocates, and empowers Black women to make informed choices about the products we use every day.
From advocating and supporting clean beauty to storing your products the right way, let’s break it all down.
SafHER Beauty Products Do Not Contain These Harmful Chemicals
What is beauty, really? Is it straight hair? Perfectly polished nails? We’ve been taught to believe that beauty is about fitting into someone else’s mold. But let me remind you—beauty is being unapologetically YOU.
Yet, for decades, we’ve been pressured to conform. We’ve used relaxers, straighteners, and countless hair and skin products—many of which contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and phthalates. And the consequences? They’re deadly.
- Hair relaxers & straighteners – Linked to uterine fibroids, reproductive issues, and cancers among black women.
- Skin lightening creams – Contain mercury and steroids that damage our skin and overall health.
- Fragrances & personal care products – Filled with endocrine disruptors that throw our hormones out of whack.
A recent New York Times article broke it down further: Black women and girls have spent years using these products to meet beauty standards that were never meant for us. And now, science is proving what we’ve always felt—these products are harming our bodies.
“BLACK WOMEN ARE…OVER EXPOSED and UNDER PROTECTED.”
– Janette Robinson Flint
But we don’t have to stay that way. It’s time for change.
SafHER Beauty Choices for a Healthier You
The good news? We have the power to reclaim our beauty and our health. Here’s how you can start making SafHER choices today:
- Advocate & Support Clean Beauty
- Support Black-owned clean beauty brands—check out the Non-Toxic Black Beauty Project.
- Push for stricter regulations on harmful chemicals—we deserve safer products!
- Join My Style Matters as a SafHER Blk Beauty Ambassador to spread awareness.
- Fight hair discrimination—sign the CROWN Act petition to protect our right to rock our natural hair.
- Support the Safer Beauty Bill Package—because beauty should never come at the cost of our health.
- Ditch the Petroleum-Based Products – Many hair and skin products contain petrolatum, mineral oil, and paraffin, which may contain carcinogenic impurities. Instead, try:
- Jojoba oil – mimics the skin’s natural oils
- Coconut oil – deeply moisturizing and antibacterial
- Shea butter – packed with vitamins for glowing skin
- Grapeseed oil – lightweight and full of antioxidants
- Switch to Non-Toxic Fragrances – Traditional perfumes can have hundreds of hidden chemicals that disrupt our hormones. Instead, try:
- Essential oil-based perfumes (like lavender, jasmine, or vanilla)
- Botanical body mists for a fresh, chemical-free scent
- Be Cautious with Tattoo & Permanent Makeup Inks – We love a good brow or lip tint, but some inks contain heavy metals and phthalates—not the vibe. Instead, look for vegan, organic, or non-toxic ink brands
- Choose Non-Toxic Makeup Alternatives
- Many mainstream makeup brands contain talc, heavy metals, and endocrine disruptors (yeah, that’s scary).
- When picking your products, look for:
- Clean, mineral-based, or organic makeup brands
- Paraben-free, sulfate-free, and phthalate-free labels
- Keep Your Beauty Tools Fresh & Clean
- Dirty brushes = bacteria, breakouts, and clogged pores.
- Clean them weekly with castile soap, apple cider vinegar, and gentle, fragrance-free shampoo.
- Watch Out for “Greenwashing”
- Some brands slap “natural” or “organic” on the label, but still sneak in harmful chemicals.
- Always read the ingredient list carefully and use apps like Think Dirty or EWG’s Skin Deep to check toxicity levels.
- Store Your Products Properly – Heat, humidity, and light can cause chemical breakdown and bacteria growth (yikes!). Keep your beauty products:
- In a cool, dry place
- Away from direct sunlight
- Toss them once they expire—old products can be toxic!
The Power of Sisterhood and SafHER Beauty for Black Women
We are not alone in this fight. From the kitchens of our grandmothers, where shea butter reigned supreme, to today’s push for clean beauty, we have always found a way to care for each other.
This is about more than beauty—it’s about legacy, health, and empowerment. It’s about making sure our daughters don’t have to question whether their beauty routine is putting their health at risk. It starts with us. And we have everything we need to change the game.
Educate your community on making SafHER, non-toxic beauty choices! Invite us to lead a SafHER BLK Beauty session at your school, workplace, or community event.
Make safer choices today. Learn more about:
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