Logo image
Back
Clean beauty gentrification: The role of historic and contemporary resource allocation practices on hair product safety in Boston, MA
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Clean beauty gentrification: The role of historic and contemporary resource allocation practices on hair product safety in Boston, MA

Marissa Chan, Marlee R. Quinn, Derek Shyr, Katherine Van Woert, Jackeline Morales, William H. Kessler, Loni Philip Tabb, Gary Adamkiewicz, Loni Phillip Tabb and Tamarra James-Todd
Environmental epidemiology, v 10(1), 445
01 Feb 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/EE9.0000000000000445
PMID: 41541897
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1097/EE9.0000000000000445View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open CC BY-NC-ND V4.0

Abstract

Environmental Sciences Environmental Sciences & Ecology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Science & Technology
Background: Personal care products are a well-documented source of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Differences in exposure to EDCs are reported, with Black women more commonly using products, such as hair products, containing EDCs. Our previous work identified differences in access to safer hair products between neighborhoods in Boston, Massachusetts; however, limited research has explored what may be driving these differences. Redlining and gentrification are two resource allocation practices that may impact neighborhood-level access to health-promoting services and goods, including access to safer hair products. Objective: We examined if there is an association between historic and contemporary practices related to resource allocation (i.e., historic redlining and gentrification) with hair product safety (i.e., containing EDCs and other chemicals of concern) among the neighborhoods in Boston, Massachusetts. Methods: We randomly selected and visited 117 stores in Boston to collect data on hair product availability and safety. We used the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Skin Deep database to evaluate hair product safety through hazard categories (low, moderate, or high). We collected data on historic and contemporary factors at the census tract level (redlining and gentrification). The associations between the historic and contemporary factors and EWG hazard categories were examined using multinomial logistic regressions. Results: A total of 39,421 hair products were cataloged in Boston, Massachusetts. Stores in previously Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) graded C and D-not gentrified areas had increased access to high-hazard hair products (risk ratio [RR] HOLC C = 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.9, 1.4, RR HOLC D = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1, 1.7). Decreased access to low-hazard hair products was reported among stores in HOLC D-gentrified or intensely gentrified (RR = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.5, 1.1), HOLC C-not gentrified (RR = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.5, 1.0), and HOLC D-not gentrified areas (RR = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.4, 0.8). Discussion: Differences in access to safer hair products were reported when examining the impacts of both redlining and gentrification. Our findings present evidence of the role of historic and contemporary resource allocation practices on current-day neighborhood-level safer hair product accessibility, which may have potential downstream health consequences.

Metrics

1 Record Views

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: SDGs in the Output

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Environmental Sciences
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Logo image