The Beauty Industry Owes Us Better – Why the 2025 Federal Safer Beauty Bill Package Is a Game-Changer for Black Women’s Health

October 21, 2025 POB
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Breast Health, Diversity, Organic, Personal Care

Co-authored by TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance & Protect Our Breasts

Picture this: You’re getting ready for the day, going through your usual beauty routine – hair products, skincare, maybe some makeup. It’s such a normal part of life that you probably don’t think twice about what’s actually in those products. But here’s something that’s been keeping us up at night: the beauty industry has been getting away with putting toxic chemicals in products specifically marketed to Black women for way too long.

And we’re not just talking about a little bit here and there. We’re talking about $7.5 billion per year, with Black women unknowingly paying premium prices for products that could be harming our health. It’s time we talked about why that’s completely unacceptable – and what we can finally do about it.

Why TOUCHBBCA and POB Are Fighting This Together

This partnership makes perfect sense when you look at our missions. TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance (TOUCHBBCA) serves as a hub for Black Breast Cancer prevention, research, and community support, driving collaborative efforts across patients, survivors, advocates, healthcare professionals, and researchers toward eradicating Black Breast Cancer. Through initiatives like For the Love of My Gurls, TOUCH reaches young Black women with critical breast health education and prevention messaging.

Protect Our Breasts (POB), a program of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), works on college campuses nationwide, educating the next generation about environmental links to breast cancer – including toxic chemicals in beauty products. POB’s student-led chapters translate complex science into actionable knowledge for young people forming lifelong habits.

Together, we’re tackling the same problem from complementary angles: TOUCH brings expertise in reaching Black communities with health messaging, while POB brings youth education and scientific translation. Both organizations understand that prevention isn’t just about individual choices – it’s about changing systems that put people’s health at risk.

The Numbers Don’t Lie – And They’re Scary

Black women already face significant health disparities, including the highest breast cancer mortality rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. And science is showing that beauty products marketed to Black women are putting their health at even greater risk.

Recent studies reveal alarming patterns: Black women who regularly use darker and permanent hair dyes face a 60% increased risk of breast cancer compared to just 8% for white women. Meanwhile, Black women who use chemical hair straighteners have a 30% higher risk of breast cancer than white women and double the risk of uterine cancer. This isn’t coincidental—scientists have identified 921 chemicals as breast cancer-relevant, with 414 of those found specifically in plastics, packaging, and products. Many products marketed to Black communities, like hair relaxers, skin lighteners, and heavily fragranced items, contain these hormone-disrupting chemicals. Same morning routines, same general product categories, but drastically different health outcomes.

This isn’t a coincidence – it’s the result of an industry that has systematically targeted Black communities with products containing some of the most toxic ingredients available. While everyone’s out here doing research on everything from which college to attend to which phone to buy, the beauty industry has been banking on the fact that consumers can’t research what’s hidden in products.

Think about it: when was the last time you saw “fragrance” on a label and wondered what that even actually means? (Spoiler alert: they don’t want you to know, because “fragrance” can legally hide 100+ toxic chemicals.)

Enter the Game-Changer: The 2025 Federal Safer Beauty Bill Package

Here’s where things get exciting. After years of advocacy from BCPP’s Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which leads the national movement to make beauty and personal care products safer for all, the House of Representatives is taking action with the 2025 Federal Safer Beauty Bill Package – four bills that could completely transform the beauty industry. This isn’t the first time this legislation has been introduced (it was originally proposed in 2019), but this updated version includes crucial new science and an expanded focus on protecting the communities that have been most affected by toxic beauty products: Black women and salon workers.

The bill package gets updated and revised every two years until it passes, which is why spreading awareness and putting pressure on our legislators is so critical. The responsibility shouldn’t be on individuals or single companies to make these choices for us – our government should regulate the marketplace so that we don’t even have to worry about whether toxic chemicals are lurking in our products.

The package includes:

  1. The Toxic-Free Beauty Act – Bans 22 of the most dangerous chemicals (including mercury, lead, and formaldehyde) that are already banned in Europe but somehow still legal here
  2. The Cosmetic Hazardous Ingredient Right to Know Act – Requires full disclosure of hazardous fragrance and flavor ingredients on product labels and brand websites
  3. The Cosmetic Safety Protections for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act – This one specifically addresses the disproportionate health impacts, especially for Black women
  4. The Supply Chain Transparency Act – No more “we didn’t know” excuses from companies

How Bill #3 Addresses Critical Health Disparities

Let’s dive deeper into the bill that’s specifically designed to address these disparities: the Cosmetic Safety Protections for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act. This isn’t just another piece of legislation – it’s recognition that certain communities’ health has been under attack by an industry that profits from beauty standards while ignoring the health consequences.

Here’s what this bill actually does:

$30 Million in Research and Solutions: The bill funds comprehensive support for the communities hit hardest by toxic beauty products: $15 million for dedicated research into specific chemicals found in products marketed to Black women and their health impacts, $10 million for developing safer alternatives, and $5 million for national resource centers. No more having to piece together studies that weren’t designed with these populations in mind.

Synthetic Braid Safety Standards: Many people have always known that some synthetic hair just doesn’t feel right. Turns out those instincts were correct. Recent Consumer Reports testing found toxic chemicals in ALL 10 synthetic braiding hair products they tested. This bill would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish safety standards and warning labels for products that don’t meet them.

Salon Worker Protections: Whether you’re working in a salon to pay for school or it’s your career, you deserve a safe workplace. This bill provides resources, education, and safety data sheets in multiple languages for workers who are exposed to these chemicals 8+ hours a day.

Centers of Excellence: Two new resource centers focusing specifically on beauty justice and salon safety, creating a central hub for education, research, and advocacy.

The Science Behind the Urgency

Let’s get real about why this matters so much for Black Breast Health specifically. Black women under 35 are twice as likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer and three times more likely to die from it compared to other demographics. We also know that fewer than 10% of breast cancer cases are due to family history – meaning the majority are linked to environmental factors, including the products used daily.

Recent studies have identified 921 chemicals as breast cancer-relevant, with 414 of those found specifically in plastics and packaging. Many hair relaxers, skin lighteners, and heavily fragranced products marketed to Black communities contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that put our health at risk.

And here’s the kicker – many of these same chemicals have been banned in Europe for years. The European Union has banned over 2,500 chemicals from cosmetics, while the US has banned or restricted only 15. In 80 years. Make that make sense!

Real People, Real Impact

This isn’t just about statistics – it’s about real people in communities across the country. During a recent press conference about the 2025 Federal Safer Beauty Bill Package, Tiah Tomlin, founder and executive director of My Style Matters and a two-time triple negative breast cancer survivor, explained the personal stakes: “Studies have shown that these chemicals actually make breast cancer cells less responsive to chemotherapy… a chemical in products that we use every single day could actually be working against the very treatments that were meant to save our lives.”

Think about the salon workers in communities everywhere—many of whom are working to support their families or pay for their education. They’re exposed to toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, sodium hydroxide, ammonia, titanium dioxide, and styrene for 10+ hours a day, six days a week. Research shows they face alarming health consequences: over 60% suffer from skin conditions like dermatitis, along with higher rates of asthma, respiratory problems, reproductive health issues including miscarriage and birth defects, and increased risk of breast, lung, bladder, and larynx cancers.

The Business Case for Change

Now, some people might say, “Won’t this make products more expensive?” Here’s the thing: clean beauty companies already exist and are thriving. As Hannah Diop from Sienna Naturals explained during the recent Safer Beauty Bill Package reintroduction press conference, “When the European Union banned 2,500 chemicals, it didn’t destroy their beauty industry. Their beauty industry is thriving. It sparked reformulation and the creation of safer alternatives.”

The clean beauty industry is actually the fastest-growing segment of the cosmetics market because consumers are demanding safer products. This legislation’s regulation wouldn’t hurt innovation – it would force it, creating a level playing field where companies can’t cut corners at the expense of consumer health.

What This Means for Your Daily Routine

So what would this bill package actually mean for your everyday life? Imagine walking into any beauty supply store and knowing that:

  • The most toxic ingredients in your beauty products will be banned
  • Every ingredient is clearly listed, including what’s hiding under “fragrance”
  • Products containing chemicals linked to health problems have clear warnings
  • Synthetic hair products meet safety standards established by the FDA
  • The salon workers doing your hair and nails have access to safety information in their language
  • Companies can’t claim ignorance about what’s in their supply chain

This isn’t about fear-mongering or telling you to throw out your entire beauty collection. It’s about giving you the information you need to make choices that align with your values and health goals.

Taking Action: How We Get This Done

The beauty of this moment is that we actually have the power to make this happen. Here’s how:

Contact Your Legislators: Congress needs to hear from young people that this matters. Use your voice to tell your Senators and Representatives that you support the Safer Beauty Bill Package, especially the protections for communities of color. Take action!

Share Your Story: If you or someone you know has experienced health issues that might be related to beauty product use, share that story. Personal experiences make policy real for lawmakers.Tag #SaferBeauty4All

Support Clean Beauty Brands: Vote with your wallet for companies that prioritize transparency and safety. Check out retailers like Credo Beauty for curated clean options, or use apps like Clearya to scan products and identify toxic ingredients while you shop.

Educate Your Circle: Share this information with your friends, family, and community. The more people know, the more pressure there is for change.

The Future We’re Fighting For

Imagine a world where beauty standards don’t come with health consequences. Where you can walk into any store and trust that products are actually safe for the communities they’re marketed to. Where salon workers have the protections they deserve. Where future generations inherit a beauty industry that prioritizes health, not just profits. Where toxic chemicals in our products don’t contribute to our risk of breast cancer.

This isn’t just a pipe dream—it’s achievable with the right legislation. At the end of the day, this comes down to something simple: everyone deserves to know what they’re putting on their body, and everyone deserves safe options regardless of budget or zip code.

The 2025 Federal Safer Beauty Bill Package isn’t just legislation—it’s recognition that Black women’s health matters, that salon workers deserve safe working conditions, and that transparency should be the standard, not the exception.

Everyone’s voice matters in this fight. For the first time, we have four federal bills that reflect those values. Let’s make sure they become the laws of the land.

Ready to take action? Contact your Representatives and tell them you support the Safer Beauty Bill Package 

Want to learn more about safer beauty options? Check out BCPP’s Black Beauty Project and BCPP’s Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for vetted products and brands.

Follow the fight: Keep up with Touch BBCA, Protect Our Breasts, and BCPP for the latest updates on beauty safety and Black breast health.

Sources:

Disclaimer: The information provided herein represents our organizations’ perspectives based on publicly available research and legislative information. We are not providing medical advice, but rather sharing scientific information to help individuals make informed choices. While we strive to make this information as timely and accurate as possible, we make no claims about the completeness or adequacy of any studies referenced.

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