Welcome to the Kinky Curly Kids Hair Blog (KCK Blog)!
Our Kinky Curly Kids Hair Blog will help families limit childhood exposure to neuroendocrine disrupting chemicals in skin and haircare products. Our initiative will also help counter harmful experiences that can be tied to maintaining and caring for kinky and curly hair. This blog will be a safe space to learn about proper care, maintenance, and affirmation of young (newborn to 8 years old) Black children’s hair.
Kinky Curly Kids Blog Mission
The Institute of Family and Community Impact envisions healthy families and communities with limited childhood adversity and negative determinants of health. During early childhood, exposure to certain chemicals within the air, toys, food and even skin and hair care products can have negative impacts on brain and body development, health, learning and relationships into adolescence and even adulthood! We want to empower and educate caregivers to create both healthy and positive experiences, with their children, that can be passed down to future generations.
Why We Created the Kinky Curly Kids Blog
Our Kinky Curly Hair Blog grew from our larger early childhood safety project with the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund (OCTF) that provides families with information and products that are safer for young children such as safe sleep items, bottles and sippy cups, food serving items, and now hair care products (contact us to learn more about this project). Ongoing work on topics like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) continually remind us of the importance and impact of environmental safety, and that prevention practices must include short- and long-term efforts to prevent negative health and development outcomes starting in early childhood and beyond.
In the U.S., Black girls are exposed to hair oils and perming products during childhood more than any other racial group. Increased usage of these products has been found to alter puberty in Black girls, resulting in an early menarche (period). Early menarche is alarming because it is a risk factor for breast cancer. Black women in the U.S. have the highest rates of dying from breast cancer.
Black girls ages 6-11 have double the mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) levels compared to children of other racial groups. MEP has been linked to both sperm and DNA damage.
When Should You Come Back for Kinky Curly Kids Blog Content?
The purpose of this blog is to create a safe space for caregivers to visit monthly to learn more about the chemicals in our hair products, proper care, maintenance, and affirmation of Black children’s hair (Aimed for fathers with Black and bi-racial children ages newborn to 8 years old).
Our Kinky Curly Kids Blog Posts and Related Content
How-To Spot an Endocrine Disrupting Chemical & 6 to Avoid
Empowering Families and Communities One Initiative at a time: The Institute of Family and Community Impact, an OhioGuidestone initiative strives to create a society where children experience limited adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and increased benevolent experiences. Through our Early Childhood Safety Initiative (ECSI), which is carried out in partnership with Ohio Children’s Trust Fund (OCTF) […]
09/2023 ECSI Newsletter- Revealing Family Protective Factors
September is Baby Safety Month and here at IFCI we are talking about what we do to help babies and families thrive- learn all about our Early Childhood Safety Initiative (ECSI)! About Our Newsletters Each month the Institute of Family and Community Impact an OhioGuidestone initiative releases research Newsletters to explore our innovations closely. We […]
Toxic Chemicals in Black Hair Products, 6 Examples
Why Are We Talking About Toxic Chemicals in Black Hair Products? Toxic chemicals in Black hair products impact individuals, families, and communities of all ages, but are particularly harmful to children in the developmental stages. Family & community health and vitality are at the forefront of our motivation, vision, and purpose. Through advocacy, education, and […]
15-Minute Toxic Hair Product Podcast Episode
About Our ECSI Initiative The Institute of Family and Community Impact seeks to create an equitable, resiliency centered society- and initiatives like our Kinky Curly Kids blog which grew from our Early Childhood Safety Initiative (ECSI) seek to do just that! Identifying toxic hair products and their disproportionate impact on Black women and children’s development, […]