A: A spritz of perfume may feellike such a minor chemical exposure compared to the pollutants elsewhere in our environment – microplastics, air pollution, PFAS. But scientists and clinicians are increasingly raising alarm over a group of chemicals used in many personal care products: phthalates.
Phthalates – found in popular perfumes, nail polishes and hair care products – have been linked to numerous adverse health outcomes: insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease and impaired neurodevelopment. A study published in Jama Network Open found that higher urinary concentrations of phthalates from personal care products was linked to a 25% increased risk of hyperactivity problems among adolescents. Another study of the same cohort found that increased phthalate exposure was also associated with poorer performance in math.
The concerns about childhood exposure to phthalates are high enough that in the United States, certain types of the chemical are banned in children’s toys and items such as pacifiers and baby bottles.
For Andrea Gore, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin, who runs a laboratory studying the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the harms are clear enough that she advises everyone to try to reduce their exposure, especially parents starting a family and those with young children.
“I recommend avoiding added fragrances altogether – in perfumes, scented lotions and shampoos, even scented detergents and antiperspirants,” she said in an email interview.
What are endocrine-disrupting chemicals?
Our endocrine system is composed of multiple glands, including the thyroid and pituitary glands, that produce and regulate hormones – governing everything from our growth to reproduction. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, are in everyday products and can mimic and interfere with our body’s hormones.
According to the Endocrine Society, hundreds of chemicalsmay be endocrine disrupters – if not more.PFAS are a well-known group of chemicals considered EDCs, and others, such as phthalates and parabens, are more commonly found in soaps, shampoos and beauty products - though they’re also in plenty of other places. Phthalates are even in our food.
Switching personal care products to those without EDCs can potentially have a big impact over a short period. For instance, a 2023 study of 41 women found that after 28 days of switching to phthalate-free and paraben-free products, they not only had reduced levels of these chemicals in their urine but also had reductions in gene expression associated with cancer in their breast tissue.
How to reduce your exposure
Make reasonable changes:“It’s frankly overwhelming to consider all the sources of potential endocrine disrupters and so I think to maintain your own sanity, I would focus on changes that are sustainable for your lifestyle and resources,” said Rebecca Jeun, an endocrinologist at the University of Louisville Health.
If switching all your beauty products isn’t going to happen, she advises considering other ways to minimise EDC exposure, such as reducing consumption of canned and ultra-processed foods and avoiding heating food or drinks in plastic.
Use phthalate-free products:Don’t want to go fragrance-free? See if the product’s website says it is free of phthalates and parabens, or check the language on the packaging. But keep in mind that looking at ingredient lists isn’t enough: Some products may just have the term “fragrance” listed as an ingredient – which can be a mask for a phthalate that’s not explicitly disclosed.
Don’t want to go fragrance-free? Consider products without phthalates and parabens instead. Photo / 123rf
Adopt a streamlined personal care routine.If you have a skincare-obsessed teen, engage them in the conversation about choosing safer products.
“For older children who are interested in beauty or skincare products, I recommend celebrating them for practising self-care and proactively helping them identify their favourite and safe gentle face wash, moisturiser (oil and fragrance-free), and sunscreen to be part of their daily wellness routine,” said Carol Duh-Leong, a paediatrician and assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in an email interview.
Why scientists find the data so convincing
Critics have argued that the data isn’t conclusive on phthalates and other EDCs. Theysay there hasn’t been an ideal randomised control trial in humans to effectively “prove” causation. And while that argument is often capitalised upon by manufacturers pushing back against further regulations, conducting such a trial would be “virtually impossible – and almost certainly unethical,” Gore said.
“This is why we’re dependent upon testing a chemical in cell lines and lab animals to prove a cause-and-effect,” she added.
Those kinds of experiments have shown “irrefutable evidence” that EDCs cause myriad health problems, according to a statement by the Endocrine Society.
“If a chemical has endocrine disrupting effects in animals, there is exceptionally high certainty that this is also the case in humans. The hormones of the endocrine system are structurally and functionally similar, if not identical, in nonhuman and human animals,” Gore said.
What I want my patients to know
As a doctor, I know we sometimes need to pick our healthcare battles wisely. But what we’re discovering about how exposure to EDCs impacts an individual’s sperm or egg cells is deeply concerning. These cause changes that could be heritable and passed to future generations.
“The fact that chemicals have multigenerational effects is the most compelling example why – if a chemical is introduced, and then pulled from the market later - it’s too late: that cycle of heritability has already begun,” Gore said. “No one wants their grandchildren to be destined for illness, a generation before they are even conceived.”
