These chemicals are commonly found in cosmetics and personal body care products and according to laboratory tests, are capable of disrupting the hormone system.
An independent study by Friends of the Earth found nanoparticles present in all 10 randomly selected foundations.
The group has decried nanoparticle cosmetics as the modern equivalent of lead and arsenic face powders.
Of the 10 products analyzed, only one disclosed the presence of nanoparticles on its label.
In addition, seven of the 10 products contained "penetration enhancers" which enable the nanoparticles to reach beyond superficial skin layers into organs, tissues and bloodstream.
Adolescent Health and Cosmetic Chemicals Two significant issues stand out in the EWG study.
One, teenage girls use more personal care products each day than the average adult woman.
Secondly, because teenagers are in the dramatic process of transitioning to a fully mature adult body, they are particularly vulnerable to low levels of hormone-active chemicals found in daily personal care products.
Over the last 40 years, teenage girls in USA have been reaching puberty earlier and earlier.
Half are showing signs of breast development by the time they reach 10 years of age, and the mean age of menstruation has fallen from 12.
8 years to between 12.
1 and 12.
6 years (depending on ethnicity).
The clinical definition of precocious puberty was revised in 1999 from 8 to 7 years for white girls, and from 7 to 6 years for black girls.
Link Between Early Puberty and Adult Disease Studies show that girls who reach puberty at a young age fail to reach normal height.
In addition, they are at greater risk of adult diseases such as breast cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
PCOS in turn is linked to a greater incidence of diabetes, impaired glucose intolerance, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Girls who mature early are also more likely to suffer from behavioral and psychiatric problems including:
- depression
- eating disorders
- attempted suicide
- substance abuse
- teen pregnancy
- criminal behavior
- lower academic attainment
- being physically victimized.
Health authorities must mandate stricter labeling laws and require full disclosure from cosmetic manufacturers of the ingredients used in their products.
Much more can be done to protect the health of our future generations.
The findings from studies such as those done by EWG need to be made widely accessible to the general public to help the ordinary man and woman understand how exposure to cosmetic chemicals in daily personal care products affects the puberty process and the health of their teenage children.
There are numerous animal studies that show that exposure to chemicals such as pthalates and parabens delays puberty in males, accelerates puberty in females and causes adverse health effects that are more severe in adolescents, such as predisposing the adolescent breast to cancer.
The question is how much of this information is being disseminated to families, schools, childcare centers and organizations that work with children and teenagers.
And whether the information is being used to create policies and practices that change the way we have been living and help us to live more healthily.
Perhaps the most important thing anyone can do for themselves and their children is to be aware of what is in their shampoo, face cleanser, moisturizer, body wash and cosmetics.
Read ingredient labels.
Find out what these terms mean and how they potentially affect your health:
- PEG
- parabens
- perfumes, fragrances, musks
- pthalates
- triclosan
While this is a welcome move away from cosmetic chemicals, be cautious.
Never take a product at face value.
Always look for the third party Certified Organic logo (e.
g.
USDA Organic, Australian Certified Organic) to make sure a product that claims to be organic has been audited by a reputable third party and is entitled to call itself an organic product.
There are companies that water down the meaning of organic and confuse the ordinary user by for instance equating the (synthetically obtained) derivative of a natural substance as being natural and as "good" as the source.
As one certified organic product company explains it, this is like saying vodka is organic because vodka is derived from potatoes! There is so much information, misinformation and misleading information out there.
If you are keen to protect your health and the health of your children and grandchildren, the first step in the right direction is to switch to certified organic for as much of your daily routine as you are able.
The smaller your body burden, the fewer harmful chemicals your body has to work hard to eliminate, and the greater your chances and your descendants' chances of living to a ripe and healthy old age.