#NoMoreLyes Editorial Campaign
Black and mixed-race women are at greater risk of developing health problems including diabetes and cancer from the harsh chemicals found in their everyday hair products. Research has shown that 78% of products on the black hair care market contain toxic ingredients that can cause life-altering conditions such as hormone disruption, allergies and reproductive damage.
Hair relaxers containing the toxic ingredient lye, a chemical used in drain unblockers, has been linked to burns, hair loss and fibroids. In 2021, the University of Oxford 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, and 63% of Black British women have reported negative experiences with hair relaxers. However, big beauty brands like L'Oréal and Revlon continue to produce and sell products that put Black women’s health at risk.
Why should the choice be beauty or health when brands can simply make their products safer?
Level Up, a UK feminist campaign group, launched the #NoMoreLyes campaign, demanding an end to cancer causing chemicals in Black women’s hair products. Level Up have a successful track record in spearheading gender justice campaigns with Intersectionality at the core, including introducing the UK’s first media guidelines on reporting domestic abuse deaths.
