Cosmetics and other personal care products with toxic ingredients and contaminants, such as shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, makeup, baby powder, vaginal douches, lotion, body sprays and perfumes, and hair dyes and straighteners, have been linked to ovarian cancer, breast cancer, early puberty, fibroids and endometriosis, miscarriage, poor outcomes for the health of pregnant women and their babies, diabetes, and obesity, and other conditions.

With very few exceptions, current federal law does not require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States to approve cosmetics and other personal care items before they are sold in the country.

Manufacturers are not compelled to disclose all of the contents in their products, test their goods, follow good manufacturing procedures to avoid contamination, or even recall goods they are aware are hazardous. Every stage of a woman’s life is impacted by hormones, which also have an impact on how our reproductive systems develop and function.

Exposure to “endocrine-disrupting substances” harms the way hormones work as they circulate through your body via the endocrine system (EDCs). Chemicals like Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxins are examples of toxic chemicals and EDCs that interfere with the endocrine system’s ability to operate.

1 EDCs are substances that are present in food and food packaging, in the environment (such as water and soil), and in personal care items including cosmetics, hair products, and lotions.

The study on EDCs and dangerous chemicals in cosmetics and other personal care items is highlighted in this paper, which also discusses the potential harm that these items may cause to women’s health.

Additionally, it highlights the ways in which Black women are more likely to be exposed to EDCs and suffer from related health issues, such as uterine fibroids.