Are your hair relaxers putting Black women's health at risk?
Sign the open letterIn 2021, Oxford University published damning research that found a link between long-term use of hair relaxers containing lye and a 30% increased risk of breast cancer for Black women. L'Oréal is one of the biggest manufacturers of lye-based hair relaxers, marketed specifically at Black women.
In August 2021, Level Up and more than 5,000 petition signers asked L'Oréal to remove cancerous chemicals from these products. To date, they have still not responded.
Further studies have since linked frequent, long-term use of hair relaxers to more than double the risk of developing uterine cancer for Black women. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against L'Oréal over the last decade — from scalp burns and permanent hair loss, to fibroids and uterine cancer.
Black women should be able to trust that the products we use won't hurt us, but Level Up's 2022 survey found that 95% of Black British women don't trust beauty brands that sell lye-based relaxers. This should come as no surprise since L'Oréal's hair relaxers continue to be sold — including those intended for children — labelled as "no-lye" whilst listing sodium hydroxide (lye) in the ingredients. How can we make informed decisions about products without transparency from manufacturers?
Now is the time for L'Oréal to lead the way in the beauty industry by taking responsibility for the harms caused by your products. We know that Black women's money matters to you, so we're calling on L'Oréal to demonstrate that Black women matter too.
Make the products safe to use or take them off the shelves. Black women use hair relaxers to avoid discrimination at work and in schools, because they find their hair easier to manage, or simply because they want to. You have a duty of care. If you are not able to provide safe products, they should be removed. No one should risk losing their life, their fertility or have their quality of life negatively impacted from using hair products.
Make the nature of the ingredients and possible harms clear on the product label. The correlation with cancer does not come from misuse — it's a risk consumers are exposed to from using the products as intended. If products remain on shelves, they should clearly state that "chemical hair straighteners have been linked to an increased risk of cancer and fibroids." Easy-to-read labelling. You shouldn't have to be a chemist to make a transparent choice.
Invest in independent research about the long-term impact of these ingredients on Black women. Level Up requested safety sheets on 14th March 2022 for just two of your hair relaxers. Once again, we have yet to receive a direct reply from L'Oréal. Help customers make an informed choice.
The price of beauty should never be our health.
We know you have a commitment to being "number one in the world" regarding ethics — but the harm caused to Black women by frequent and long-term use of chemical straighteners doesn't align with that. Black women already spend up to nine times more than any other group on hair care. We shouldn't be paying with our health too.
Over 5,000 people have already signed. Add your voice to the open letter demanding L'Oréal make hair relaxers safe — or remove them.
Recent signers
+ 5,000 others across the UK
MPs
Bell Ribeiro-Addy · Paulette Hamilton · Ian Byrne · Ian Lavery · Mohammad Yasin · Rachael Maskell · Tony Lloyd · Valerie Vaz · Virendra Sharma
And more than 5,000 individual signatories including:
Paulette Amadi · Vanessa Thomas · Ebony Penrose · Meg Lawrence · Cara Wilson · Cecilia Willis Gonzalez · Vicky Payne · Isabel Calder · Anna-Marie Dolan · Sarah Tamblyn · Rebecca G. Clarke · Chris Harrison · Emily Kenward · Angela Silvester · Rose Hunt · Carol Fox · Jennifer Brown · Laura Mcdonald · Jan Lloyd · Gail Gray · Mary Doyle · Siobhán O'Garro · Shalini Soni · Stephanie Burton · Sheila Bell · Rose Blackett-Ord · Joan Jones · Imogen Howson · Rosalind Mccormick · Dorothy Fall · John Mortimer · Natalie Weaving · Anna Cromwell · Erica Levy · Penny Ledger · Emma Bailey · Kirsten Forkert · Lisa Frize · Mary Mbema · Collette Ball · Susan Hepburn · Angela Starling · Samantha Newman · Philippa Lowther · Pam Cole · Bridget Ellison · Anäis Ford · Katharine Crew · Kim O'Mahoney-Duszek · Michelle Carter · Rebecca Hill · Liz Kemp · Elizabeth Cocker · Catherine Painter · Achsa Griffiths · Diana Hallett · Niamh Sutherland · Laura Skinns · Hazel Veitch · Hilary Snell · Harriet Lord · Anna Gahlin · Carly Miller · Mirella Nalder · Sarah Hall · Dolly Oyenuga · Nadine Barrett · Sarah Christian · Rosemary Whaley · Amie Charnley · Ama-Louise Rizzo-Browne · Laura Paul · Jenifer Fox · Helen Coulson · Sheena Woodcraft · Cari Paterson · Caroline Burgoyne · Dawn Lloyd · Lisa Densham · Tammie Sutcliffe · Ines Santos · Maria Hedley · Melissa Mackey · Michelle Castree · Omolara Kinshasa · Susan Christie · Janet Davis · Helen Madge · Katy Ross · Anne Darby · Liza Rathbone · Denise Sutton · Amy Young · Pamela Gartner · Deborah O'Donoghue · Margot Rodway · Kareece P · Foluke Akinlose MBE · Thea Henry · Olivia Vincenti · Clare Coatman · Anita Shervington · Fiona Banham · Maggie Anderson · Gillian Carter · Val Hennessy · Natasha Ferreira · Sophie Lyle · Dareleen Jones · Harvinder Dhinsa · Eve Gartshore · Rachel Steele · Dr. Beruriah Wiegand · Elena Massucco · Hilary Martin · Adesola Ayoola · Barbara Kay · Yola Ciechanowska · Helena Robinson · Leah Watt · Emma Cairns · Michael Shaw · Estelle Burrows · Tracey Collins · Jill Gosling · Anna Mcivor · Elaine Somerville · Dianne Charles · Layla Ali · Alice Hastings · Jade Hammond · Alexandra Provan · Laura Harland · Nicola Hutchinson · Alice Gem · Karen Young · Hanna Thomas Uose · Emma Franieczek · Catherine Clarke · Elaine Burton · Sarah Jones · Kathleen Hudson · Victoria Clements · Martine Allard · Dawn Henry · Carl Gilbert · Jackie Garland · Nicole Healing · Anne Soderman · Erica Donnison · Judith Gussin · Helen Canham · Rachel King · Leanne M Lovatt · Nichola Fenty · David Rothery · Annie Lawler · Dorothy Wood · Deborah Wells · Allison Rensch · Scott Bradbury · Melanie Summers · Alison Murphy · Pauline Benson · Jo Cooper · Emily Martin · Maria Whiteley · Suzanne Campbell · Jane Stone · Clara Dunn · Son Padmore · Emma Carvell · Elizabeth Heptinstall · Julia Flash · Tony Wilson · Philippa Harrison · Kay Smith · Janine Limberg · Cris Claridge · Jane Wood · Nyssa Roberts · Áine Collins · Jen Heil · Susan Stradwick · Tracy Pereira · Anna Armond · Katie Hyams · Ann Simpson · Lucy Butter · Laura Thompson · Claire Marsden · Lindsay Latona · Philippa Taylor · Gail Cartwright · Nicole Lavelle · Veronica Heath · Laura Nicholas · Dora Curtis · Cllr Natasha Harpley · Alison Chakraborty · Mara Crombie · Anna Matthews · Robin Wilkinson · Gill Fernley · Jo Seth-Smith · Pamela Taylor · Rosemary Clarke · Sally Smitherman · Georgina Speirs · Gabby Taylor · George Walker · Stevie Storme · Sophie Morgan · Imti Choonara · Jonelle Hector · Cindy Buxton · Amanda Jacobs · Phil Baptiste · Jim Hewitson · Sarah Obaka · Laura Jose · Arlene Heeley · Holly Elissa · Louise Parr · Sandra Kemplen · Paige Lewin · Karen Owen · Aykut Kekilli · Bethan Thomas · Isla Kennedy · Jane Mciver · Austin Cooper · Sian Saul · Lowell Black · Veronica Lee · Aoife Kitt · Clare Laxton · Alex Buckley · Rebecca Early · Vicky Moore · Amy Straker · Amanda Leon · Chris Middleton · Leigh Odimah · Natalie Thorpe · Olivia Wignall · Ruth Ankrah · Bryony Duffy · Pam Bradley · Mandla Nkomo · Dionne Usherwood · Patrick Owen · Leila Laco · Fiona Berry · Patricia Foley · Julia Lunn · Sandra Mcneill · Sarah Clarke · Raymond Harris · Daniel Seed · Maria O'Connor · Theresa Boden · Susan Hipkiss · Marion Pitman · Katie Porkess · Mui Li · Mollie Marshall · Lorna Fiorini · Wendy Collier · Margaret Smart · Elaine Moore · Gillian Campbell · Alison Storer · Anna Wall · June Johnson · Julia Sang · Emma Salvage · Yasmin Smith · Mary Gibbs · Andrew Walsh · Suzanna Fitzpatrick · Michelle Hayward · Helen Brandon · Joan Bodey · Joanne Rigby · Peggy Karvouni · Andrea Fanchette · Helen Molteno · Helen Mc Avoy · Eleanor Walker · Pippa White · Dan Liburd · Liz Ackerley · Phil Noble · Barbara Gay · Jacqueline Barron · James Nye · Moira Mckenzie · Caroline Stedman · Morag Brotherston · Jane Owens · Karen Garvey · Debra Wagner · Bess Miles-Duncan · Kathleen Blackley · Carole Mathurin · Delia Gibbins · Robin Myers · Sarah Boote · Lynda Urhobo · Rosey Ellum · Jen Mitchell · Alexandra Murphy · Kate Rowland · Jane Doubleday · Jane Kirk · Ann And John Goodman · Richard Burdett · Carol Wilson Jones · Karen Evans · Kathleen Harrop · Nicola Griffiths · Anne Hogg · Diane Wright · Jean-Marie Orhan · Sara Palmer · Linda Walton · Tanya Pascual · Ann Dixon · Sahar Ismaeel · Alison Pick · Melina Dobson · Lianne Carolan · Peter Tansley · Lyn Bainbridge · Emily Hamilton · Emily Clark · Elliot Jenkins · Karen Mckenzie · Kathryn Dutton · Amy Oliver · Rona Mcpherson · Sheena Isokariari · Val Jones · Chloe Sayer · Nadia Batool · Paul Reddy · Nicola Hetherington · Tara Stevens · Sandra Dudley · Caroline Davis · Mark Stewart · Caroline Hadley · Stephen Reid · Becca Bailey · Helen Burgess · Mira Petridis · Mary Morris · Richard Hamilton · Angela Bonner · Jade Fox · Della Tysall · Willow Uren · Lia Latchford · Anna Comino-James · Sharon Bambridge · Adaeze Okpara · Rosalind Parkes · Laura Mcallister · Tom Finnemore · Esther Boue · Charlie Boyd · Lynda Woodward · Niki Jewett · Andrea · Emma Pannell · Lisa Bowman · Victoria Curtis-Moore · Gemma Learmonth · Rhiane Fatinikun · Kate Smith · Christine West · Rebekah Holland · Ann Capon · Jo Sparkes · Diane Scott · Grant Lewins · Gillian Hathaway · Valeska Matziol · Zoe M · Emily Kishtoo · Claire Turner · Jashmin Patel · Susan Francis · Claire Healey · Angela Shepherd · Jessica Erland · Molly Brown · Louise Tero · Alexandra Joseph · Elena Leonard · Sukanya Phethao · Charlotte Crowl · Graham Spilsted
Black women across the UK have shared what using hair relaxers has meant for their lives and health.
"I've been relaxing my hair since I was a child. It was never a choice — it was survival in a world that told me my natural hair wasn't professional."
"I developed fibroids in my 30s. No doctor ever asked me about my hair products. I had to connect those dots myself, years later."
"The burns on my scalp were so bad I had to take time off work. The salon said it was normal. It was not normal."
"I want my daughter to grow up knowing her hair is beautiful exactly as it grows. But I also want her to be safe if she ever chooses to chemically treat it."
