The Price of Beauty

BY FERN GILLESPIE

Black women are dying for beauty. Medical studies have shown that the rise of many health crises—ranging from rashes to cancer—among Black women can be traced to beauty-care products. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted a 2025 study evaluating 4,000 products marketed to Black women and discovered that almost 80 percent were rated moderate to high hazard. The result is that Black women face disproportionately higher health risks due to the toxicity of personal-care products advertised specifically to them.

“There are hair and facial cosmetics that are poisonous. Those who are in the beauty and medical industries have become aware that some chemicals cause illnesses that can even lead to cancer,” acclaimed beauty expert and president of Image Smart Alfred Fornay explained. “A lot of the medical people I talk to feel that many of the illnesses Black women suffer from are related to ingredients in shampoos, lotions, and creams, as well as gels that are put on fingernails.”

Fornay is a pioneer in beauty for Black women. His career in the beauty industry spans over 50 years and includes serving as beauty editor at Ebony, beauty director at Fashion Fair, creative director for Revlon’s Polished Ambers, and founding editor-in-chief of Ebony Men magazine. He is also the author of several best-selling books on beauty, skincare, and make-up for Black women. At his church, The Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church in Harlem, he often advises women in the congregation about their beauty concerns.

“I’m sensitive to the fact that Black women need to learn how to test products before they actually use them. There are harmful ingredients in some of those products,” said Fornay. The Skin Deep® cosmetics database, created by EWG, is an online guide providing research information on over 130,000 products. For example, many popular synthetic braids have been reported to be toxic. To examine the risks of synthetic braiding hair, Consumer Reports scientists tested 10 popular synthetic braiding hair products for heavy metals and volatile organic compounds. Carcinogens—chemicals that may cause cancer—were detected in 100 percent of the samples. Lead was found in nine of the 10 products. Millions of Black women use these braids every year, putting them at increased risk of cancer, reproductive harm, hormone disruption, and respiratory problems.

“A lot of people look at the bald-headed women walking around. It’s not for style or fashion. It’s because a lot of women have lost their hair. Their scalps are so sensitive they can’t even use glues and paste for wigs and hair pieces. It causes irritation. They need to keep the scalp free of all chemicals for healing,” explained Fornay. “It’s chemical hair. When they say natural, it’s not natural hair. The hair that comes from India is mostly natural hair. It’s more expensive. Hair products that you see in Korean beauty houses are synthetic hair and contain chemicals. That chemical process seeps into your scalp. It’s the cause of all kinds of irritations.”

The new study shows that formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing products are present not only in hair relaxers, but in a wide variety of beauty products—including some that women apply to their bodies far more frequently than chemical hair straighteners, which have been linked to breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers.

For Black women looking for natural beauty products, EWG’s recent study co-authored by African American scientist and entrepreneur Dr. Kristian Edwards, DrPH, founder of BLK + GRN (blkgrn.com), should be helpful. An online marketplace of toxic-free personal-care products created by Black women business owners, BLK + GRN offers safer alternatives. “The 2025 report makes it clear that consumer awareness is still required to ensure Black women aren’t exposed to hazardous chemicals in personal-care products,” stated Dr. Edwards, who holds degrees from Yale and Johns Hopkins.

Understanding the shelf life of beauty products is also stressed by Fornay. He advocates that the beauty industry, like the food industry, label products with expiration dates. “A lot of people are irritated by old products, especially around their eyes. There are different eyeshadows and lipsticks that people keep forever. I can tell by the odor of an aged lipstick that it should not be used,” said Fornay. “The bacteria grows on the tube and you put it on your lips. I’ve heard some women say that they get a little stinging sensation from putting on old lipstick.”

“Black women need to be aware of the safety of their favorite beauty products. I think an educated consumer is a healthy consumer,” said Fornay. “The aesthetics of looking good and grooming are important, but I really feel that instead of trying to get a bargain, be concerned about your health.”