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Researchers at George Mason University College of Public Health recently highlighted in a new study that the use of skin care products increases the likelihood of exposure of young children to phthalates and phthalate-substituted chemicals.
The study found a troubling link between the use of personal care products such as lotions, hair oils, hair conditioners, ointments and sunscreens and high levels of phthalates in the urine of young children.
This worrying association depends to some extent on the child’s racial and ethnic origin and gender, the researchers said.
“This is the first study to show that different skin care products used by young children may differentially increase exposure to endocrine-disrupting phthalates and phthalate substitutives in young children,” said lead researcher Michael S. Bloom, MD, professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University’s College of Public Health.
Phthalates and phthalate-replacement compounds are endocrine system-damaging chemicals. Some of these are often used as carriers for active ingredients in skin care products; others are used in plastic packaging.
Previous studies have also warned that exposure to these chemicals in childhood increases the risk of neurological, reproductive and metabolic diseases.
The study collected data from 630 children aged four to eight years old from 10 different cities in the US, which included a clinical examination and urine analysis. The child’s parent or guardian was also asked to complete a survey 24 hours before the child’s examination, which included questions about the child’s socio-demographic information (race/ethnic identity, sex assigned at birth, etc.). It also asked parents to list all skin care products, including lotions, soaps, shampoos, oils, and cosmetics, that were applied to the child’s skin in the 24 hours before their examination, with as much specificity as possible about the type of product and the brand or generic name.
“We recently found a link between the use of various skin care products and higher concentrations of phthalates and phthalate-substituted compounds,” Bloom said.
“Children had different associations between skin care product use and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, depending on their racial and ethnic identity and their sex assigned at birth. We also found that different patterns of use of multiple skin care products were predictive of higher concentrations of phthalates and phthalate substituents.”
“The results may help inform policies to address the use of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in skin care products used on children, and help parents make informed decisions about which products to use to limit their children’s exposure to potentially developmental toxins,” Bloom said.
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