"Not so pretty": the shocking trailer of the HBO documentary which denounces the scandals in the beauty industry

In the past, influencer Ayesha Malik's hair was long and silky.

That was before she followed a new hair routine from a brand that specializes in straightening curly hair.

After a few months, the young woman felt itching on her scalp, then suffered severe hair loss, which she was losing by handfuls, like tens of thousands of other users.

This traumatic experience, she tells it in the first episode of the documentary series

(“Not so pretty” in English), which has just been released on the HBO Max streaming platform.

Directed by the duo Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick, best known for their sexual assault documentaries

and

, this shocking report undermines the cosmetics industry.

The series consists of four half-hour episodes, each dealing with different scandals that have plagued the beauty world recently.

The first episode tells the story of Ayesha Malik and investigates the marketing of dangerous relaxer products for black women.

The second, titled “Nails,” explores the health risks faced by employees in beauty salons and other nail bars.

“Skincare” studies plastic packaging containing PFAS compounds (the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, referred to as “eternal” chemical pollutants) and their causal link to cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid , decreased immunity and hormonal disturbances, among others.

Finally, the latest episode covers similar concerns with a focus on cosmetic formulas.

In particular, it presents evidence that

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“Almost no regulation” in the United States

It is important to specify that these investigations particularly concern the United States and its regulations.

While the European Union bans or restricts more than 1,300 chemicals in cosmetics alone, the United States bans only 11 toxic ingredients.

Worse still, there is currently no legal requirement for manufacturers to test their products before putting them on sale in the country.

If consumers are harmed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the national food and drug regulator, can do no more than issue a recall.

"Almost every other chemical in every other industry has some kind of oversight but in cosmetics there's almost none," Kirby Dick reveals in the documentary.

“We were shocked to see that these products, so common, so ubiquitous in our daily lives, and that everyone uses, were subject to almost no regulation.”

Besides, it is alleged that Ayesha Malik's hair and health have been damaged by hair care products containing formaldehyde, a carcinogenic substance banned in cosmetics sold in the European Union, but still present in relaxers. and nail polishes.

“You have power as a consumer”

Finally, the series wishes to recall the responsibility that is also incumbent on customers: “You have power as a consumer!” insists Amy Ziering.

"We are anything but powerless: we choose where to put our money, and then the brands follow."

And conversely, when the general public stops buying, for X or Y reason, the industrial chain stops by itself or is forced to reinvent itself.

The makeup trends of 2022

In images, in pictures

See the slideshow68 photos

See the slideshow68 photos

In this sense, at the end of each episode, a didactic section gives some practical advice and resources to learn more about what we apply to our skin.

For the moment, the documentary is only broadcast on HBO Max, which is not yet officially available in France.