Cosmetics as endocrine disruptors: are they a health risk?
Abstract
Exposure to chemicals from different sources in everyday life is widespread; one such source is the wide range of products listed under the title "cosmetics", including the different types of popular and widely-advertised sunscreens. Women are encouraged through advertising to buy into the myth of everlasting youth, and one of the most alarming consequences is in utero exposure to chemicals. The main route of exposure is the skin, but the main endpoint of exposure is endocrine disruption. This is due to many substances in cosmetics and sunscreens that have endocrine active properties which affect reproductive health but which also have other endpoints, such as cancer. Reducing the exposure to endocrine disruptors is framed not only in the context of the reduction of health risks, but is also significant against the background and rise of ethical consumerism, and the responsibility of the cosmetics industry in this respect. Although some plants show endocrine-disrupting activity, the use of well-selected natural products might reduce the use of synthetic chemicals. Instruments dealing with this problem include life-cycle analysis, eco-design, and green labels; in combination with the committed use of environmental management systems, they contribute to "corporate social responsibility".
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Long-term contact with hazardous substances in cosmetics can cause health problems ranging from skin sensitivity and allergies to hormone disruption, reproductive problems, and cancer.
“Long-term contact with hazardous substances can cause a variety of health problems, from skin sensitivity and allergies to more serious problems like hormone disruption, reproductive problems, and even cancer (34).”
From The dark side of beauty: an in-depth analysis of the health hazards and toxicological impact of synthetic cosmetics and personal care products (2024) · cites this paper as [34]
Cites
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Alnuqaydan, A. M. (2024) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1439027 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
“Long-term contact with hazardous substances can cause a variety of health problems, from skin sensitivity and allergies to more serious problems like hormone disruption, reproductive problems, and even cancer (34).”
Background
- Authors
- Nicolopoulou-Stamati, P., Hens, L., & Sasco, A. J.
- Affiliations
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (BE)
- Inserm (FR)
- Venue
- Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
- Published
- 2015-12
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 373-383
- ISSN
- 1389-9155 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2606
- OpenAlex
- W2298392052
- Cited by
- 78
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 6
- FWCI
- 0.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Contact Dermatitis and Allergies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Keywords
- cosmetics, endocrine disruptors, sunscreen, reproductive health, prenatal exposure, dermal exposure, cancer risk, ethical consumption, natural products, life cycle assessment, eco-design, green labels, corporate social responsibility, environmental management systems
- MeSH terms
- Cosmetics, Endocrine System, Female, Humans, Risk Assessment, Endocrine Disruptors
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