Toxic Braids; When Beauty Products Betray Our Health

What price are we paying in the name of beauty, and who gets to decide if that price is too high?

When I first read the Consumer Reports findings about benzene in synthetic braiding hair, I felt that familiar knot in my stomach, the one that forms when yet another product targeting our community puts our health at risk. As someone who has worn braids for most of my life, this is personal. It’s about the Saturday afternoons spent in salons, the intimate conversations with stylists who become family, the cultural connection to a tradition that spans generations.

Consumer Reports found benzene (a known carcinogen) in three synthetic braiding hair products, including those sold by Sensationnel, a leading U.S. hair brand. Let that sink in. A cancer-causing chemical, in products we trust against our scalps for weeks at a time.

The Problem: Beauty Shouldn’t Cost Us Our Health

The investigation revealed something both alarming and telling: benzene was detected in only 3 of the 10 products tested. This proves it’s entirely possible to manufacture synthetic braiding hair without this dangerous chemical. So why is it still present in some products?

When over 20,000 people (primarily African American women who are the core consumers of these products) signed a petition urging Sensationnel to remove benzene and other toxic chemicals, the company refused to engage. They turned away advocates attempting to deliver the petition in person, forcing Consumer Reports to deliver it digitally.

I find myself wondering: What does this refusal say about how certain companies value the health of African women? When a brand directly markets to our community, yet ignores clear safety concerns, we must ask ourselves difficult questions about trust and accountability.

Understanding the Impact: Beyond Individual Choice

This is about systemic issues that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Synthetic hair products like those tested are widely available in Canada, sold through major retailers including Walmart.ca and specialized beauty suppliers like HairMall.ca. Import data confirms substantial shipments regularly enter our country.

For many in the African-Caribbean community, these products are essential. Hair care is deeply cultural, personal, and often tied to professional and social acceptance. The psychological impact of knowing products designed for our specific hair needs may contain carcinogens creates an impossible choice between cultural expression and health.

The beauty industry has a long history of overlooking the needs of African consumers while profiting from them. This moment represents an opportunity for change, for companies to demonstrate genuine commitment to the communities they serve.

As Corina Petty, Beauty Justice Organizer at Consumer Reports, stated: “People deserve transparency, accountability, and products that won’t put their health at risk.” This should be standard.

Moving Forward: Community Action and Corporate Accountability

So where do we go from here? How do we transform our collective concern into meaningful change?

First, we must continue raising awareness within our communities. Share this information with: friends, family members, and stylists. Knowledge is power, and in this case, it’s protection.

Second, we encourage anyone who has experienced adverse effects from these products to report incidents directly to Health Canada through their official reporting system. Documentation creates a paper trail that regulatory bodies cannot ignore.

Third, we must demand better from companies. Contact Sensationnel’s executives. Make your voice heard. Let them know that African women’s health matters, that our business comes with expectations of safety and respect.

Finally, we must support organizations like Consumer Reports that are conducting this vital testing and advocacy work. Their research provides the evidence we need to demand change.

As a community, we’ve faced challenges before. We’ve turned pain into power, isolation into collective action. This moment is no different. Our health, our safety, and our dignity are worth fighting for.