The “hygiene and beauty” sections of our supermarkets are full of dozens of products that promise to soften the skin, make it smell better, lengthen eyelashes, reduce wrinkles, tame curly hair, even change the color lips, skin or hair, sometimes semi-permanently.
Unfortunately, in these places, an adage that sounds like a warning finds particular resonance: “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is…”
Indeed, many of the promises made by these cosmetic products are based on chemical substances that can be dangerous to health. This is particularly the case for compounds acting as endocrine disruptors, in other words capable of interfering with hormonal functioning, and therefore disrupting fertility, reproduction, fetal growth and infant development.
This is an important concern because young women are prime marketing targets and make significant use of cosmetics, particularly in the years leading up to the period of their lives when they may intend to start a family. . Recent studies have shown that college-aged women use cosmetic products at higher rates than other populations.
Cosmetics designed to be free of endocrine disruptors are often more expensive than others.
As an epidemiologist, and having personally struggled with infertility, I study exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in everyday products such as cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, and plastics. I work to raise awareness among young people of the health risks posed by these products, and promote their prudent use.
Potentially risky products
According to the definition of the Food and Drug Administration (American food and drug agency, responsible for the surveillance of foodstuffs and drugs), the term “cosmetics” includes deodorants, perfumes, lotions, nail polishes. nails, shampoos and other hair products, as well as eye, lip and face makeup.
Unless these products are used to treat a specific condition, such as dandruff or sweating, these products are not subject to the same regulation as medications. The decision to communicate regarding the safety of these products is left to the discretion of the companies that manufacture them.
(_in Europe, cosmetic is defined as “any substance or mixture intended to be brought into contact with the superficial parts of the human body (epidermis, hair and capillary systems, nails, lips and external genitalia) or with the teeth and mucous membranes oral hygiene with a view, exclusively or mainly, to cleaning them, perfuming them, modifying their appearance, protecting them, maintaining them in good condition or correcting body odors. Legislation, which is stricter, evolves regularly. In particular, it imposes rules on manufacturers regarding the labeling of their products (editor’s note).
Body care products contain many types of chemicals that manufacturers add for specific purposes. However, some can interfere or disrupt the normal functioning of the endocrine system (the hormonal system). This is for example the case of UV filters intended to protect the skin from damage caused by the sun, such as oxybenzone, or phthalates used to improve fragrance, or even parabens and triclosan, used for their antimicrobial properties, as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, intended to improve sustainability.
However, not all of these chemicals are present in every cosmetic, so determining how to avoid exposure to them can be complicated. A review of scientific literature dated 2021 listed studies that identified endocrine disruptors in everyday cosmetic products. This revealed the presence of phthalates in perfumes, shower gels, shampoos and nail polishes. Parabens were detected in lotions, creams, shampoos, shower gels, facial cleansers and lipsticks. Triclosan had been identified in toothpaste, soaps and other cleaners. Finally, UV filters were found to be present in sunscreens, lotions, toothpastes and lipsticks.
Furthermore, many of these chemicals can coexist within the same cosmetic, exposing consumers to several substances at once, and sometimes – in the United States – without any warning, because as previously mentioned, the labels do not do not always list endocrine disrupting chemicals among the ingredients.
What is the health risk?
When you apply cosmetics to your skin, when you inhale their scent, or when you use them to brush your teeth, the substances they contain can travel throughout your body, targeting the endocrine, nervous, and cardiovascular systems.
When these chemicals are endocrine disruptors, such as phthalates, parabens, triclosan, and PFAS, they can mimic naturally produced hormones or block certain hormone receptors. Their presence can therefore lead to abnormal hormonal production, secretion or transport in the body.
Work has shown that exposure to these products may be associated with reproductive problems, such as poor sperm quality, or an increased risk of miscarriages and endometriosis. They may also be linked to thyroid disruption or abnormal growth and development.
Certain neurological conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cognitive impairment, and depression have also been linked to chemicals added to cosmetic products. The same is true for certain cardiovascular problems such as hypertension, insulin resistance and coronary heart disease.
Note that the level of risk is often difficult to measure, because it depends in part on exposure doses, the type of chemical and the way in which the chemical interacts with the endocrine system.
Research has shown that among women aged 18 to 44 living in Utah and California, increased exposure to a common type of phthalate was associated with twice the risk of developing endometriosis, a condition that is not only painful , but which can also interfere with pregnancy. Authors also carried out a meta-analysis on work that studied the health of pregnant women who had been professionally exposed to endocrine disruptors. Researchers calculated that when mothers were exposed to more than one type of endocrine disruptor, their child’s risk of low birth weight was increased by 25%.
Most cosmetics containing endocrine disruptors contain only small amounts. But as our understanding of the mechanisms of action of these products evolves, we now know that even exposure to low doses has effects.
Thus, in the United States, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) considers that “even low doses of endocrine disruptors can be dangerous”. In 2023, still in the United States, The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed changing practices to assess the cumulative risk of certain phthalates (previously the risk was assessed individually for each chemical). And in Europe, in recent years the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency, whose role is to regulate chemical substances) has revised its list of substances of very high concern to add a growing number of these chemicals.
Substances that are starting to be banned
Our study of young, college-age women found that they use an average of eight different personal care products each day, which may contain endocrine disruptors. Some use many more: up to 17. This is worrying, because the greater the number of products used, the higher the exposure associated with endocrine disruptors.
Additionally, 80% of the women we surveyed didn’t know if their cosmetic products contained harmful chemicals.
Scientific work has found significantly higher exposure to phthalates and other chemicals among adolescent girls who wore foundation, blush and mascara compared to those who did not. One study found that when adolescent girls stopped using products containing endocrine disruptors, the concentrations in their urine dropped by 45%.
As we have seen, the European Union is at the forefront of regulations regarding the use of these substances in cosmetics. Until now, the United States has lagged behind on these issues, but things are changing.
Washington state recently passed legislation that bans PFAS, lead, phthalates, formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals in cosmetics starting in 2025 and creates new incentives for companies to produce more sure. New York State has banned mercury, a neurotoxin that can be used as a skin lightener, effective June 1, 2023. Finally, California, Minnesota and Maine have also implemented significant restrictions on the use of mercury. use of chemical additives in cosmetics.
Although many cosmetic companies market alternatives free of endocrine disruptors, these products tend to cost more, which can make them inaccessible to younger people. The most effective way to reduce exposure to these harmful substances via cosmetics would therefore be to implement bans at the national level.
