Explain It to Me Chems in your cosmetics
May 10, 2026
Ami Zoda, environmental health professor at Columbia who studies cosmetics, regulation, and beauty’s unequal harms. Mariah Blake, investigative reporter on toxic chemicals and PFAS history. Dr. Alicia Franklin, chemist studying chemical exposures from braiding hair. They discuss harmful chemicals in hair and lotions, why endocrine disruptors matter, regulatory gaps, and how beauty norms create unequal risks.
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Chronic Exposure From Long‑Wearing Braids
- Alicia Franklin emphasized chronic exposure risk from braiding hair because extensions stay in for weeks and touch scalp 24/7.
- Cumulative exposures from multiple products stack, so frequent or primary hairstyles compound risk for some communities.
Reduce Product Layering When You Wear Braids
- Do consider reducing related products when wearing braids, like edge control or gels, to cut overall chemical buildup.
- Alicia Franklin recommends minimizing product layering rather than outright banning braids, and choosing lighter routines while braided.
PFAS Make Cosmetics Stay On
- Mariah Blake explained PFAS (forever chemicals) are added to cosmetics to make products long‑wearing, like waterproof mascara and long‑lasting foundations.
- PFAS also appear in non-cosmetic items such as dental floss, tampons, and period underwear for similar performance reasons.
