Today, we are surrounded by chemicals.
Chemicals are found in the environment, cosmetics, and cleaning products. These chemicals are a potential danger to our hormonal system. There is a lot of research that links Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) to an earlier onset of menopause.
What are EDCs?
EDCs are chemicals that can mess with human hormones. Some EDCs mimic natural hormones by binding the target cell receptor (binding occurs when a hormone attaches to a cell receptor, that is a part of the cell designed to respond to that specific hormone). EDCs can start the same processes that the natural hormone would. Other EDCs instead block normal hormone binding and prevent the effects of the natural hormones. Still, other EDCs can directly mess with the production, storage, release, transport, or elimination of natural hormones in the body. This can affect the function of certain body systems badly.
Between the EDCs we can find pesticides, plasticisers and sometimes natural chemicals found in plants. Many women that have been exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are start menopause 2.5 years earlier. PCBs were banned in 1979 but you can still find them in older products.
We can find EDCs in the following products:
- Cosmetics
- Household products
- Environmental pollutants
Cosmetics
Cosmetics contain a lot of chemicals. Most of them are not under the FDA or any other regulations. Everything that claims to prevent a disease or alter the body in any way is considered a drug and has to be regulated. Cosmetics are not. Up to now, only 11 chemicals has been highlighted to have damaging effects on health. Among them we find: parabens, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and siloxanes.
What are they used for?
- Butylated hydroxyanisole is a preservative
- Alpha Hydroxy acid is a skin plasticizer
- Beta Hydroxy acid is a skin exfoliant
- Coal tar dyes are a colour dye
- Diethanolamine compounds are emulsifiers, foaming agents and pH adjusters
- Parabens are cosmetic preservatives
- Phthalates are fixatives in fragrances and solvents
- Polyethylene glycol compounds, are used as a cream base and increases the permeability of skin to cosmetics
- Siloxanes are used to soften, smooth, and moisten cosmetics
- Triclosan is a preservative and anti-bacterial agent
Other EDCs found in most common cosmetics are:
Formaldehyde is well-known to cause cancer and can dissolve in water and in air (think of the strong smell nail polish). This chemical can also cause scratchy throat, asthma, and difficulty breathing.
Toluene is known to delay development in children and can be irritating to the skin. Some scientists found traces of it in breast milk.
Dibutyl Phthalate. Some nail polish brands swap this for TPHP (Triphenyl Phosphate), but it’s no better for your health. In fact, it has similar health risks such as hormonal disruption and reproductive system toxins.
Most of the cosmetics we use contain some of these chemicals. It is important to read the label carefully and avoid any products that have them. Many studies have found that these chemicals can lead to premature menopause and other hormonal changes.
Household Cleaning Products
When it comes to household cleaning products, there is no standard, definition of a “non-toxic” or “environmentally friendly”. It is worrying that the manufacturers don’t need to list everything that they put in their products. For example, flame retardant chemicals are used in many common household products.
Research shows that these chemicals escape from electronics, couches, and baby products and collect in your household dust. Phthalates are a class of chemicals typically found in fragrances. When possible, it’s good to choose fragrance-free products. These chemicals can also show up in nappies or garbage bags.
Other chemicals include: Bisphenol A (BPA), which lines food cans made of tin; phthalates, which are used when manufacturing plastic food containers; and pesticides such as chlorpyrifos and organophosphates.
Environmental Pollutants
Environmental pollutants are difficult to avoid. Sometimes we are not even aware that we are exposed to them. It is important to be aware of their potential sources, including plastics in food packaging (BPA, bisphenol A, is one of the biggest EDC). Furans are by-products that we are mainly exposed to through animal products like dairy and fatty fish. They are released into the environment mostly through toxic waste incinerators.
The only power we have against exposure to dangerous chemical is to try to keep ourselves informed, read all labels carefully and avoid brands that do not provide a full list of ingredients.
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