Chemicals in cosmetics can affect women's hormones

According to a new study published in the journal, chemicals commonly used as ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products may cause changes in reproductive hormones in women. International environment.

For the study, researchers from George Mason University, Virginia, collected 509 urine samples from 143 women aged 18 to 44 years. All participants were free from chronic health problems and known birth control. They could therefore be measured for chemicals in personal care products, including parabens, antimicrobials, and benzophenones, ultraviolet filters.

"This study is the first to examine the chemical mixtures widely used in personal care products compared to hormones in women of childbearing age in good health, using multiple exposure measures throughout the study. menstrual cycle. two measures of chemicals, "said the study's lead, Dr. Anna Pollack, an assistant professor at George Mason University in global and community health.

This multi-chemical approach more accurately reflects actual environmental exposures and shows that even low exposure to chemical mixtures can affect reproductive hormone levels.

Another important finding of the study is that some chemical and UV filters were associated with a decrease in reproductive hormones during multi-chemical exposures, while others were associated with an increase in other reproductive hormones, highlighting the complexity of these chemicals.

"What we should get out of this study is that we might need to pay attention to the chemicals in the beauty and personal care products we use," Pollack said.

"We have early indicators that chemicals such as parabens can increase estrogen levels. If this research is confirmed by further research, this could have implications for estrogen-dependent diseases such as breast cancer.

In daily life, most of us are exposed to many chemicals that could have negative effects on our hormones. These hormonal changes have been linked to a number of negative health issues such as breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The new discoveries have important implications, because understanding the chemicals that influence hormone levels is vital to public health – and especially to women's health – because they are present in beauty and personal care products.

Source: George Mason University

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