Everyone deserves to live in a healthy and safe environment. That environment includes where you live, work, play, and pray. We reject and actively push back against racist rhetoric, actions, policies and institutional oppression that leads to state-sanctioned brutality, gun violence, and harm that again and again assaults communities, particularly communities of color. We are committed to working for justice and equity, and are in solidarity with social, racial, and environmental justice organizations to build community, understanding and honest dialogue to address the root causes of violence, harm and hate.

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Salon Products

Salons can be a hazardous place to work given that many harmful chemicals can be found in salon products. Women working in salons are exposed to these chemicals for many hours at a time on a daily basis.

Beauty and Its Beast Report

This is the first report ever to document how nasty chemicals lurking in hair sprays, permanent waves, acrylic nail application and other salon products are harming the health of women who work in salons. Disturbingly, we found that salon workers are at an increased risk of cancer, miscarriages, neurological disorders, immune disorders, asthma, dermatitis and more.

Check out the report and fact sheets for recommendations for making salons safer, and new tips for reducing exposure.

Annual Report 2

Download the report Beauty and Its Beast

Manicurist wearing gloves

Woman at the hairdresser's.

Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Salons

straight hair

Hair stylist sprays customer's hair

Brazilian Blowout stylists

healthy hair illustration

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Information for Stylists

Current hazard warning, how to report health problems to OSHA & FDA

finding safer nail polish products

Detox Your Booth Webinar

Stories from Salon Workers

stylists impacted by formaldehyde in hair straighteners

Jennifer – We were getting sicker and sicker with every exposure and was taking us longer to recover each time. Our health and our livelihoods are being taken away from us and we are not going to let this happen without a fight. Read more.

toxic chemicals impacting salon workers health

Dawn – From lobbying in Washington, D.C. with WVE, blogging about my experiences with formaldehyde poisoning, joining radio broadcasts with Politics Beauty and this recent experience of being on television, I hope to protect the health of other consumers and stylists from toxic exposures. Read more.

Saffiyeh Edley_square

Safiyyah – I’ve recently been diagnosed with Uterine Fibroid tumors, which I found out about after miscarrying my baby.I’m now speaking up for safe salon products to lawmakers, agencies, and the media. Read more.

stylists share stories about toxic chemical exposure in the workplace

Natalija –I was in denial for so long that it was the Brazilian Blowout treatments making me sick–that Brazilian Blowout must be safe if it’s allowed on the market. So I went to D.C. with 14 other salon workers to tell our stories in hopes of making change. Read more.

 

Additional Resources

For more resources and references on how to reduce exposures from toxic chemicals in professional salon products and cosmetics, click here.

Detox Your Booth Webinar: Protecting Salon Workers from Toxic Chemicals

Nail Files: A Study of Nail Salon Workers and Industry in the United States

Voice’s News

Defending Human Rights at the Intersection of Toxics and Gender Equity (part 2) 
02 Dec 2024
Weaving Strong Leaders: Katie’s Story
02 Dec 2024
In This Moment: A Message from WVE’s Acting Executive Director
07 Nov 2024

Together, Women Win!

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