I was watching CNN's Black in America and one of the segments was about how triple-negative breast cancer disproportionately affects women of African descent. I'm not doctor, but I like to formulate my own theories about things. Do you do that too? I couldn't help but think that some of the reason for this might have something to do with diet and cosmetics — more specifically hair products. Pretending my theory was correct, I began to get kind of angry like I needed to be more of an activist. It led me to Mane & Chic's Question of the Day...
What if tomorrow a ground-breaking report was released saying that a product you thought was safe was actually found to cause cancer in 75% of its users and that the company knew about it for a few years and continued to sell it? Would you get angry? How angry? Would you start a riot? Would you take a stand? Would it make you paranoid of other products? Would you stop wearing makeup? Would you stop washing your hair with store-bought products? What would you do? Would you even give it a second thought?
Leave your thoughts in the comments.
I totally agree with you! I'm a nurse and while in school we talked about African Americans and the rates of certain conditions. I always found myself being angry, for us, as African Americans. There are a lot of studies that show diet is usually #1 in increased cancer rates. But chemicals usually follow close behind!
ReplyDeleteHmmm I think people would be outraged for a while. I would definitely be pissed and personally would encourage others to boycott that company.
ReplyDeleteWhat never ceases to amaze me is....how come every disease, affliction always seem to affect black women more. I am starting to think it's a conspiracy. But coincidently if I found out a favorite product of mine was harmfulo or cancer causing. I would indeed stop using it. In addiction to going natural for the last year and a half, I have been slowly converting to organic hair and body products, (importantly deoderant without aluminum) started exercising, and trying to eat right as well. I also stopped wearing nail polish, opting for buffing my own natural nails, make-up is gone also except for concealer and a light touch of mascara. I also refuse to use commercial hair dye with ammonia and peroxide. Just plain old henna to cover my gray and that's pretty much it. Just call me granola girl.
ReplyDeleteIt is puzzling black women seem to be the majority in America for anything seeing as your the minority.
ReplyDeleteI do agree what products we use is a factor. Diet I would like to know more about I may be going on a limn here but I highly doubt white America are eating any better to the point black people would be mostly affected. So why are black women suffering the most. The mind truly boggles. As for using high street chemically produced products I try to stay away from. Shea butter is my friend. But I am still looking for natural conditioner as good as Herbal Essences..
I always thought there was a link to cancer and these chemicals in the perm products. I'm still amazed that that link hasn't been researched being that black women seem to have high percentage of breat cancer...I would be pissed and boycott products as well as try to reach out to other women of color about the harmful ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI would sue until there is no tomorrow...make sure every single one of those money hungry CEO's of multimillion dollar corporations never has a place to lay his/her head. After that initial reaction, I would truly reflect...Is ignorance truly an excuse to play victim? I knew what I was buying and further I had access to the product lists and other information that I could have used to enlighten myself about the products I'm putting in and on my body. Ultimately, we need to stop being victims, and inform ourselves and each other.
ReplyDeleteI already believe this to be true. We put chemicals on our skin and on our scalp. That seeps in, people. These things are harmful. I don't eat processed foods, have a microwave, relax or use storebought products. All my makeup is natural and i CHECK THE LABELS. No lotions, just pure butters here. Our people don't know, and it's hurting us.
ReplyDeleteIt's bizarre that you post this today. Yesterday I was thinking about your resource Cosmetics Database (a fantastic site, thank you), and was curious about some of my main products. Thankfully, most of my styling products rated a relatively safe 4. But the leave in conditioner I have been using for about 3 years? It has an ingredient that is a by product of formaldehyde, and i have been putting this stuff in my hair weekly for years-ugh. I'm actually nervous about researching the facial scrub I have been using since high school.
ReplyDeleteBut to answer your question, yes i would be mad as hell that a beauty product that could causes cancer would even be on the shelves. Aside from being paranoid about all my other products, i don't know what else i would do.
Theres an article on this forum which talks about african american hair products that are linked to cancer :
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thumperscorner.com/discus/messages/7242/5579.html
Another example of where ethnicity is very closely associated with breast cancer risk and outcome is with the African-American population. It's been very clearly demonstrated in national population-based studies that overall, for women of all ages, breast cancer incidence, the numbers of breast cancers that develop, is actually lower among the African-American population compared to the Caucasian-American population. However, it's also been very clearly demonstrated that mortality, or death rate, from breast cancer is substantially higher for African-American women compared to Caucasian-American women. And it's very difficult to set out exactly why these disparate influences exist.
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes maybe science can't see the obvious. It's pretty apparent to me and I think all of us.
ReplyDeleteI would be totally pissed and encourage others to act. After watching the same segment Black in America 2 originally aired, I made the choice to transition to natural hair and natural living ~no more chemicals.
ReplyDeleteI am currently writing a research paper on breast cancer in African American women and one large factor to this health disparity. African American women have a lesser rate of developing breast cancer we have a higher death rate. We tend to be diagnose in the later stages of breath cancer because many African American’s do not have health insurance and are not able to get the necessary test to detect it early.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post! Not only do the products we put in our hair and on our skin affect us, regardless of SAFE they appear or SAY they are, there will be a side effect! This is EXACTLY why I decided to create my ALL-NATURAL body and hair care product line. Hopefully some of you ladies who are looking for natural, quality products will realize that they work just as good (and in some cases, even better) that those chemical concoctions!
ReplyDeleteBut in response to the post, to be perfectly honestly, I really dont believe the status quo would change. A few would boycott or change their regimens, but a lot of people would STILL continue to use those products, even if a direct link to cancer was found... kind of like the mentality of cigarette smokers 'I'm sure I will be the exception.'
Many in the black community have equated naturalness with ugly, rebellion, confrontation, or any other negative stereotype, as predetermined by society. So for those that equate beauty to straight hair, tons of makeup, acrylic nails and anything else SOCIETY told them personifies beauty and grace, I truly doubt those individuals will be converted or concerned.
Wow! I will sure be very angry bcos who knows what harm is already done. Thanks for posting.
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ReplyDeleteI saw that show too. Crazy!!! You know what...if I found out a product I was using was harmful I would def stop using it and be very angry. At the same time...I don't expect any corporation to look out for my or our best interest. The downside of capitalism... I wouldn't be surprised if our hairproducts...relaxer to be exact...and other things have something to do with it. These chemicals are harmful. I have been relaxed many times myself, so I'm not trashing anybody that does so. At the same time I recognize that in making money...making money comes first..and if u can keep a customer long enough b4 they find out ur selling them poison, then u do that. On the flip side, not every company is devilish on purpose..but like I said, we need to look out for our own best interest.
ReplyDeleteIronically I was thinking about that the other day, how black women have so many cosmetic (especially hair) products with so many different chemicals as ingredients. We have shelves of items in beauty supply stores and it seems at least one new product every month. If it was a proven link between cancer and a certain product, the least I could do is let others know via newspaper articles, blogs, email, word of mouth...whatever it took to get to educate others. I don't exactly remember when, but that prompted me to stop getting my nails done professionally. I figure I am inhaling toxic fumes and that is the same basis as smoking, plus the technicians wear masks so maybe they know something about their products that the consumers don't know about. But the bottom line is educating yourself about the safety of products and managing your own health and self care.
ReplyDelete