Hormonal activity in commonly used Black hair care products: evaluating hormone disruption as a plausible contribution to health disparities

BACKGROUND: Certain types of hair products are more commonly used by Black women. Studies show hair products contain several endocrine disrupting chemicals that are associated with adverse health outcomes. As chemical mixtures of endocrine disruptors, hair products may be hormonally active, but this remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To assess hormonal activity of commonly used Black hair products. METHODS: We identified 6 commonly used hair products (used by >10% of the population) from the Greater New York Hair Products Study. We used reporter gene assays (RGAs) incorporating natural steroid receptors to evaluate estrogenic, androgenic, progestogenic, and glucocorticoid hormonal bioactivity employing an extraction method using bond elution prior to RGA assessment at dilutions from 50–500. RESULTS: All products displayed hormonal activity, varying in the amount and effect. Three samples showed estrogen agonist properties at levels from 12.5–20ng/g estradiol equivalent concentrations (EEQ). All but one sample showed androgen antagonist properties at levels from 20–25ng/g androgen equivalent concentrations (AEQ). Four samples showed antagonistic and agonistic properties to progesterone and glucocorticoid. SIGNIFICANCE: Hair products commonly used by Black women showed hormonal activity. Given their frequent use, exposure to hormonally active products could have implications for health outcomes and contribute to reproductive and metabolic health disparities.