Dr. Airica Steed Responds to FDA Skincare Product Recall: A Call for Health Equity, Transparency, and Consumer Safety

In a bold response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent recall of multiple skincare products over contamination and unapproved ingredients, Dr. Airica Steed—a nationally recognized healthcare executive, equity advocate, and transformational leader—is speaking out about the broader implications this has on public health and justice.

The FDA’s recall targets several well-known skincare brands, citing the presence of harmful substances such as microbial contamination, unapproved chemicals, or inaccurate labeling. While this development is significant from a regulatory standpoint, Dr. Steed emphasizes that the recall brings to the forefront an even deeper issue—one rooted in systemic inequality and public health negligence.

“As someone who has dedicated my life to dismantling healthcare injustice and who has personally witnessed the tragic consequences of systemic failure, I see this recall as more than a product issue—it’s a mirror reflecting our broader healthcare disparities,” said Dr. Steed.

A Crisis Beyond the Surface

Dr. Steed, who is celebrated for her transformative leadership in healthcare and her unwavering commitment to equity, warns that the recall could have disproportionate effects on already marginalized communities. These communities often face the dual burden of inadequate access to quality healthcare and limited access to reliable consumer information.

“In many underserved neighborhoods, people rely on affordable skincare products out of necessity, not choice,” she explained. “When those products are found to be unsafe and the information is not effectively communicated in real-time or in languages spoken by those affected, we risk perpetuating a deadly cycle of inequality.”

The issue, according to Dr. Steed, goes beyond regulatory missteps. It speaks to the systemic gaps in health education, consumer protection, and equitable access to clean, safe products. “We must elevate the standard of consumer safety by embedding equity into every level of our public health systems—starting with how we communicate recalls, how we monitor product distribution, and how we hold companies accountable,” she said.

From Reaction to Prevention

Dr. Steed’s insights are not just rooted in personal experience—they’re backed by an award-winning career that includes over $300 million in financial improvements and industry-leading achievements in safety, quality, and health equity. As a fourth-generation nurse and transformational architect in Lean Six Sigma and healthcare innovation, she’s led large-scale improvements across a variety of institutions, from academic medical centers to safety-net hospitals.

For Dr. Steed, the recall serves as a wake-up call to move from reactive approaches to proactive systems that safeguard public health before harm is done. “Companies should not wait for regulatory intervention to act,” she said. “Preventative quality control, especially in products that directly affect health—like lotions, serums, and ointments—should be a non-negotiable priority.”

She also points to the lack of diversity in product testing and development as a contributing factor. “Many skincare formulations aren’t tested across a broad range of skin types, tones, and sensitivities,” Dr. Steed explained. “This exclusion results in products that may be unsafe for certain demographics, yet are marketed as universal solutions.”

A Multisector Response is Needed

Dr. Steed is calling for a unified response from public health agencies, corporate leaders, healthcare institutions, and community organizations to build systems that protect all consumers equitably. Her proposed solution includes:

Multilingual Recall Notifications: Ensuring communities that don’t speak English fluently are promptly informed.

Community-Based Awareness Campaigns: Leveraging local clinics, schools, and organizations to disseminate information.

Equity-Focused Product Monitoring: Tracking how and where potentially harmful products are distributed.

Corporate Transparency: Urging companies to publish their testing procedures and quality control protocols.

“The goal is not just to recall unsafe products,” she said. “It’s to prevent the next crisis, restore consumer trust, and build systems that prioritize health justice for every individual—regardless of their ZIP code, income, or ethnicity.”

The Human Cost of Inaction

Dr. Steed’s activism is deeply personal. Fueled by her own family’s painful experiences with America’s broken healthcare system, she is relentless in her mission to eliminate the death gap—the unnecessary disparity in outcomes between racial and socioeconomic groups.

“When we ignore issues like product recalls or delay public health warnings, we aren’t just making bureaucratic mistakes—we’re putting lives at risk,” she said.

As a mother of four and a global thought leader pursuing a second master’s degree in Global Development at Harvard University, Dr. Steed embodies the balance of compassion and strategy. “We must be visionaries and warriors,” she said. “Because everyone deserves to live their healthiest-possible life.”