WVE Newsletter

Protecting Salon Workers’ Health

Salon workers should be able to enjoy their jobs without risking their health. For the last decade, WVE has worked to protect salon workers from the toxic chemicals they are exposed to on a daily basis for hours on end. Please join us — give what you can so we can continue this important work. Your generosity makes a difference. Donate now.	The Times exposé on workers’ rights and health risks in NY’s nail salons has people all over the nation questioning their manicures. Questions are good, but boycotting isn’t the answer. And — as this article from The Nation highlights — change in the industry is possible, starting with supporting worker organizations. Learn more.
From dermatitis to chronic lung disease to cancer, hairstylists, like nail salon workers, face health risks from harmful chemicals they are exposed to at work. What can be done to better regulate products & practices? WVE joins a panel of dedicated women on HuffPost LIVE to tackle this question. See video.	In the last five years, Brazilian Blowout has been subject to everything from class-action lawsuits to international recalls. Yet, the FDA has done virtually nothing to protect consumers from the dangers of formaldehyde in hair straighteners. Join us and call on the FDA to get this poisonous product off the market! It’s time. Learn more.
Does your favorite nail product contain toxic chemicals? Formaldehyde, toluene & more, our new data reveals that at least a dozen toxic chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm are used in nail products, further confirming the need for stronger regulations over ingredients used in salon products. Learn more.	Do you work in a beauty or nail salon? WVE is working hard to improve conditions and help ensure healthier workplaces for salon workers. To be successful, we need to know more about your concerns regarding the products used at your salon. Your feedback is invaluable. Please take five minutes to share your insight. Click here.

New Deep Clean Report

When cleaning product companies assure you that product safety is their top priority, do you ever wonder if their definition of “safe” differs from yours? Our new Deep Clean report exposes how cleaning companies use the lack of industry regulations to keep customers in the dark about their standards of product safety.  Read more.	SC Johnson loves to hold their chemical safety process called, Greenlist, as evidence of its product safety. But we know the company still uses synthetic musks, chemicals linked to breast cancer! So we’re wondering: SCJ, just how do hormone-disrupting chemicals pass your Greenlist? Take Action.

Raise Your Voice

Our new petition on change.org calls on Congress to pass the Robin Danielson Feminine Hygiene Safety Act, because we need sufficient research to understand the impact chemicals found in feminine care products are having on our health — especially when used in products that come into contact with one of the most absorbent areas of our body. Women deserve to have this very basic, but very important research done. Tell your representative to support this bill! Raise your voice.

Business Partner Spotlight

Meet Earthly Roots! Earthly Roots Hair Studio was created due to the business owner’s chemical sensitivities and client’s escalating chemical sensitivities. We honestly care about the health of your hair & skin and you as an individual. Our goal is to restore your hair to its optimum level of health. We are ammonia, formaldehyde, & fragrance free. Get to know Earthly Roots.	Say hello to Sustain Condoms! We believe in birth control, without stigma and free of toxic chemicals. Whether the issue is social equity, climate change, poverty, water pollution, population growth or Fair Trade, Sustain aspires to operate as a model for how a business can have a positive impact in every area it touches. Get to know Sustain.

More News You Can Use

“A Flame Retardant that Came With Its Own Threat to Health” — Featured earlier this month in The New York Times, this article spotlights the flame retardant, TRIS. Removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s, the story of TRIS illustrates how hard it is to regulate chemicals, or to even know if they’re safe. See video & article.	The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has not been updated since 1976 – it is not sufficient for protecting public health from toxic chemicals. A reform bill was introduced earlier this year, but not without serious flaws. An update from our partners, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, highlights where the bill now stands. Read more.