In April 2022, HBO released the first-ever comprehensive large-scale investigation into skin care products called Not So Pretty. Spread into four parts covering makeup, hair, nails and skin, there was one common thread; the products that were getting a bad rap for how they affected people within the United States were now being sold and marketed to African women on the African continent.

Carol Marufu’s earliest memory of eczema is from when she was 15 years old. She remembers walking down the street on her way to school as a group of men looked at her skin laughing about how she probably had HIV and AIDS. This was the first time she had to contend with the fact that something about her skin was different from everyone else’s.

  As a young child, she sometimes had to miss out on school because of the gravity of eczema. The sores were so bad that she couldn't walk or do much besides stay in bed. Over time, her mother learnt which medication she needed, the soaps and lotions to use and even what types of foods to avoid. However, this wasn’t always enough because sometimes the eczema would still flare up without a clear reason or cause.

Can what we use today put our children and future generations in danger?

In part one of this two-part series we unpacked the potential dangers of some of our hair and makeup products but what about everything else that we put on our skin? From face wash to lotions, taking good care of our skin has become an essential part of our daily lives. We cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturise, trusting the companies that create these products with our biggest and most important organ; our skin.

 The HBO Documentary series Not So Pretty, narrated by Keke Palmer, uncovered some of the dangers we face as women just by using products we find readily available in stores all around us.

There are over 10000 different industrial chemicals used to formulate skincare products and brands aren’t required to disclose their names because they are considered ‘trade secrets.’ The problem is that babies are being born pre-exposed to these chemicals. The chemicals are causing not just a rise in reproductive problems (in both men and women), but a spike in children being born with more diseases than ever before. 

In the documentary, researchers found that babies are being born with industrial chemicals already present in their blood and urine. This is partly due to chemicals known as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, mainly phthalates and BPA's, that are found in many skin care products. Both of these are linked to early miscarriages, liver disease, diabetes, eczema, and cancerous tumours and can even impact brain development in children, resulting in ADHD, depression and autism.

 These chemicals are hidden as a mixture of chemicals labelled as ‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume’ on the ingredients list. This is despite dozens of studies that show that phthalates can cause problems in the reproductive system, resulting in women developing problems like fibroids and endometriosis, and the inability to produce sperm or lower quality of sperm for males who are exposed to this chemical in the uterus.

Will your moisturiser increase your chances of getting cancer? 

In 2008 there was a research study that tested whether the chemicals found in lotions would give mice cancer and the result was a resounding yes. Although the study itself was greeted with scepticism and claims of bad science, the reality is that deaths due to cancer on the African continent have been predicted to double in the next decade.

This report on cancer statistics in Africa states, “It has been suggested that by 2030 there will be a 70% increase in new cancer cases due to population growth and ageing. In Africa, this ever-present disease has coexisted with more recently discovered communicable diseases such as Malaria, Ebola, AIDS and COVID19. Even though cancer death rates have surpassed those of AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria combined, there remains a lack of commitment to fighting cancer in Africa.”

While mice aren’t quite the same as humans, the researchers wrote in the report that the cancer-causing properties of these moisturisers might in part explain the rise in skin cancer cases over the last few years. The other cause of definite concern, however, is just how many phthalates and BPA are found in other products we use daily.

 Everything from vinyl flooring, lubricating oils, and personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hair sprays) to polyvinyl chloride plastics, which are used to make products such as plastic packaging, garden hoses, and medical tubing, increase our daily exposure to these cancer-causing chemicals. Even a tiny amount of exposure, think a drop of water entering a swimming pool, can pose a significant risk to humans and children. Even more alarming, 93% of adults are said to have trace amounts present in their blood, urine or sweat. All this shows just how urgent it is for us to check what we are exposing ourselves, our children and future generations to, just by moisturising our skin daily.

Is Our Bid for Self-Care Doing Us More Harm Than Good? Part 1

There’s also our nail polish

That strong smell you get when you open your nail polish isn’t just a strong smell, it's chemicals. There are three main culprits found in many nail polishes: formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). These chemicals are known as the "Toxic Trio".

In Not So Pretty we learn that nail polish use and long-term exposure to these chemicals is linked to reproductive problems, respiratory problems, and cancer. This is especially concerning for women who work in nail salons and are exposed to these toxins in enclosed spaces for long periods.

 62% of women report facing health issues after they start working in nail salons. Despite this, the issue has not gotten much attention because the people working in nail salons are often from poor backgrounds and are predominantly women of colour.

Over the past years, we are seeing trends of women of colour facing problems with their skin, developing respiratory issues such as asthma and allergies, facing reproductive issues such as fibroids and endometriosis, and suffering unexplained headaches and weakness. This is accompanied by an increase in cancer and diabetes on the continent that can't be explained. We also see similar patterns within families and communities explaining it away as genetics when the truth is that the products we are using are toxic for our bodies.

As families, we are usually using the same products and even influencing our neighbours and friends to do the same. This circle of influence increases the chances of passing on these issues to our children and those around us too. It's up to us to stop this trend and start critically assessing what we put on our skin. 

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What can we do?

As Africans, we face a greater risk of exposure due to the large number of products imported into our countries every single day. Not only is there a lack of regulation specifically for products coming from the United States and China, but there is also a lack of medical research and resources on the continent available to adequately protect us from the brands that seek to take advantage.