According to experts make-up and skincare products contain a mix of chemicals that could leave women infertile and even cause breast cancer.
These chemicals include parabens and Bisphenol A (BPA), which are considered ‘gender benders’ due to them encouraging male breast growth.
After analyzing more than a 100 women, US scientists found those who had these chemicals in their urine produced abnormal amounts of the reproductive hormones, estrogen
Excessive estrogen has been linked to fibroids and polycystic ovary syndrome, while too little prevents eggs maturing and being released from the ovary. Too much progesterone is associated with both breast cancer and unusual vaginal bleeding.
Previous research suggests parabens, which are used as preservatives in cosmetics and skincare, mimic estrogen and may cause cancer, while BPA, which is added to perfumes to make scents last longer, has been linked to infertility.
Researchers from George Mason University, Virginia, analyzed the urine samples of 143 healthy women, all of which were pre-menopausal and not taking birth control.
Lead author Dr. Anna Pollack said, “This study is the first to examine mixtures of chemicals that are widely used in personal care products in relation to hormones in healthy, reproductive-age women, using multiple measures of exposure across the menstrual cycle, which improved upon research that relied on one or two measures of chemicals.”
Chlorophenols are used as preservatives in cosmetics and have been linked to acne, liver injury
Benzophenones are added to products like lip balm and nail varnish to protect them against UV light. They also prevent products like soap losing their
Results, published in the journal Environment International, suggest exposure to all of the studied chemicals increases a woman’s progesterone levels.
Dr. Pollack said, “What we should take away from this study is that we may need to be careful about the chemicals in the beauty and personal care products we use.”
“We have early indicators that chemicals such as parabens may increase estrogen levels. If this finding is confirmed by additional research, it could have implications for estrogen-dependent diseases such as breast cancer.”
Daily mail
