Women of Color Are More Exposed to Phthalates in Household Items

Experts are calling for stricter regulation of these endocrine disruptors

If you’ve ever explored the world of so-called clean beauty products, you’ve probably heard about phthalates, a family of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These “plasticizing” agents were historically added to nail polish to prevent cracking and to hairspray to add flexibility, but now they’re in a variety of personal care products — shampoo, perfume, sanitary pads, and so on — as well as household items like vinyl flooring and food packaging. Research has linked them to learning, behavioral, and attention disorders in kids.

For these reasons, some scientists have called for tighter regulation of these chemicals, but to limited success: As

Dana G Smith

previously wrote in Elemental, “historically, it’s been very difficult to prove that health problems are explicitly due to endocrine disruptors.” But they haven’t given up. Now, scientists are pointing to the unequal impact of these chemicals on women of color as another reason why they must be more strictly regulated.

As

Drew Costley

writes in Future Human, research shows that women of color are more likely to use phthalate-containing products like skin lighteners, hair straighteners, and feminine hygiene products. Some experts consider the continued use of phthalates as an environmental injustice, no different from drilling oil and gas in Latinx communities, or continuing to run coal-burning facilities in Black communities.

Read more in Future Human:

Phthalates in Common Household Items Are Especially Dangerous for Women and Children of Color