Persistent and Pervasive: Feminists Take on Toxics

Many hair care products marketed particularly to Black women and girls contain chemicals that are endocrine disruptors  and thus may interfere with the body’s hormone system.  Some of these chemicals are also known to cause asthma or cancer.  In this episode, we explore the chemical and cultural issues around Black hair care and interview scientists and activists who are working to ensure that safer products are available.TO LEARN MORE:Links to organizations and resources mentioned in this episode:Black Women for WellnessBlack Women for Wellness Toxic-Free Beauty Pocket GuideCenter for Progressive Reform:Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetics DatabaseBLK + GRN. An all-natural marketplace powered by Black women ArtisansDove Crown Research Studies on Hair DiscriminationAnd a new resource as of October 2022:  Non-Toxic Black Beauty Database 

In Part 2 of our mini-series on toxic chemicals in cleaning products, we  focus on the efforts of organizers, domestic workers and scientists to strive towards safe and healthy working conditions, as well as job security and benefits for those in the cleaning work sector. We speak with an organizer with the National Domestic Worker’s Alliance, a chemical engineer working to ensure that safer chemicals are used in consumer products, and a founder of a worker-owned cleaning coop. All of these solutions combined are helping to ensure that domestic workers are respected and treated with dignity, have safe working conditions, and have a path to build economic security for themselves and their families.  TO LEARN MORE:Links to organizations mentioned in this episode:National Domestic Workers Alliance:  https://www.domesticworkers.org/Make the Road NY:  https://maketheroadny.org/Safe and Just Cleaners: https://safeandjustcleaners.org/Women’s Voices for the Earth:  https://www.womensvoices.org/ALIA:  https://www.myalia.org/Toxics Use Reduction Institute:  https://www.turi.org/Brazilian Women’s Group:http://verdeamarelo.org/bwg/Vida Verde:   http://verdeamarelo.org/vidaverde/Hand in Hand:  https://domesticemployers.org/Resources to identify safer cleaning products:US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safer Choice:  https://www.epa.gov/saferchoiceUS Environmental Protection Agency DFE certified disinfectants:https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-labels/dfe-certified-disinfectantsMassachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) List of Safer Disinfectant Products:  https://www.turi.org/Our_Work/Cleaning_Laboratory/COVID-19_Safely_Clean_Disinfect/Safer_Disinfecting_Products/List_of_Safer_Disinfecting_ProductsCity of San Francisco - SF Approved cleaning products:  https://www.sfapproved.org/cleaners-homes-small-businessesGreen Seal:  https://greenseal.org/EcoLogo: https://www.ul.com/services/ecologo-certificationCradle to Cradle Certified Products Registry:  https://www.c2ccertified.org/products/registryEnvironmental Working Group (EWG) Verified™:  https://www.ewg.org/ewgverified/cleaning-products.phpApps:Clearya:  https://www.clearya.com/Think Dirty:  https://thinkdirtyapp.com/Detox Me:  https://silentspring.org/detox-me-app-tips-healthier-living

The cleaning products in your home are not as safe and healthy as you think — especially for domestic workers who have to use them day in and out! This is Part I of our cleaning products and domestic workers series. Our conversation explores the toxic chemicals in cleaning products, who does most of this country’s cleaning work, why that is, and how domestic work conditions – including the use of unsafe products — have come to be.

Our pilot episode centers on toxic chemicals in menstrual and intimate care products. We give a brief history of the market and then interview experts about the toxic chemicals in these products, disproportionate exposures, and the ways that feminist scientists and activists are creating solutions.

An introduction to the new podcast series, Persistent and Pervasive: Feminists Take on Toxics!