Overview

The Beautywell Database is a database created by the Beautywell Project to address the problems related to skin-lightening products, chemical exposures, and colorism. This database contains skin-lightening products that Beautywell tested in labs and identifies harmful ingredients that pose significant risks to an individual’s health.

The database also includes products tested by other organizations and government agencies in the U.S. and globally. This database is beneficial for communities that are disproportionately affected by these issues. It provides essential information about harmful ingredients in skin-lightening products that are not written or displayed on the labels. By making people aware of the risks, this database empowers communities of color to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

This resource equips communities of color with the knowledge to advocate for safer beauty practices and stricter regulation within the cosmetic industry.

Background Information:

Skin-lightening, whitening, and bleaching products are prolific in Black and Brown communities worldwide, but they have had a powerful impact in the U.S., Africa, and Asia. Skin-lightening products come in many forms, including soaps, creams, lotions, and ingestible pills.

The skin-lightening product is a massive industry: Globally, its estimated market value is $8.3 billion, and the U. S. market alone is an estimated $2.3 billion. Given the size of this industry, we must raise awareness of these toxic products’ health and psychological impact. It is highly unregulated and sold in venues from high-end retail stores to community corner stores. Products contain various harmful chemicals, including mercury, hydroquinone, lead, and steroids, that promise to lighten skin or reduce dark spots.

Still, these products can negatively impact a person’s reproductive and neurological health. We are especially worried about the effect it can have on women’s health, not only on their reproductive health but also on adverse kidney effects, neurological problems, and early childhood developmental problems, given what we know about mercury’s negative developmental impacts.

Many consumers are unaware of the toxic chemicals in these products, so creating this database will help people access information about these poisonous products and inform them to make the right decision for their health and well-being.