Disproportionate Chemical Exposure

How the Marketing and Production of Beauty Products in the United States Impose Health Burdens on Women

Abstract

The use of beauty products in the daily lives of women is more prevalent now than ever in this era of mass consumerism. Yet, a lack of FDA regulation for the production of beauty products puts women's health at great risk. Misleading labeling as well as lack of proper labeling allows companies to get away with having harmful chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, and phenols in their products, thus leading to increased health burdens that may affect a woman's own health in addition to her future child(ren)'s health. Moreover, low-income women as well as women of color experience even greater chemical exposure due to lack of access to low-chemical products and disproportionate chemical contents in products marketed specifically towards them. A literary analysis will be performed of current scholarship that informs about the politics of the beauty industry as well as primary scientific research that details the health risks for women resulting from certain chemicals in beauty products. Additionally, an ecofeminist lens will be applied throughout this analysis to examine the relationship between the production and marketing of beauty products and disproportionate health burdens on women. Through highlighting data about the disproportionate chemical exposure women experience and the means through which this occurs, this article will bring attention to the injustices imposed on women's bodies and emphasize the need for enforceable policy with stricter regulations to decrease the use of such chemicals.