Study. Care products, dangerous for children

Study. Children who use these grooming products are exposed to high levels of phthalates that disrupt their hormones.

According to new research, children’s personal care products such as sunscreens, lotions, soaps and hair care products have high levels of phthalates in their bodies, which disrupt their hormones.

These grooming products, according to scientists, are highly toxic endocrine disruptors that can alter hormone production and are linked to reproductive, immune and metabolic diseases. They are also considered toxic to development, influencing children’s behavior and learning ability, he writes The Guardian.

Michael Bloom, a researcher at George Mason University and lead author of the study, mentioned how dangerous these products are for little ones.

“The results show that the use of skin care products in children are sources of exposure to these chemicals,” Bloom said. “What is certainly of concern is that these products tend to be used frequently and over long periods of time.”

Phthalates are common plasticizers used in plastic containers throughout the economy, and many companies also add them as ingredients in personal care products. Phthalates can migrate from plastic containers into personal care items, and recent tests have found that they are widely contaminating food and medicine.

Children, especially vulnerable when absorbing phthalates

Children are particularly vulnerable when absorbing phthalates because they have a small amount of skin surface area relative to their body weight and because their metabolic systems may not be fully developed to help process the compounds.

However, there is little research on children’s exposure to chemicals in personal care products, Bloom said. Although the body quickly eliminates the chemicals, humans are exposed to such high levels and through so many routes that constant exposure poses a health risk.

“Habits that predispose us to exposure to these chemicals, such as using body lotions, tend to be routine, so we often end up in a scenario where the moment we remove a dose… we put on lotion the next day in the morning, and this pseudo-persistent state can occur,” he said.

The use of lotions such as moisturizers or sunscreens, as well as oils, were associated with the highest levels in children. Those who reported using lotions in the past 24 hours showed higher levels of the type of phthalate that migrates from plastic into products, while hair oil use was strongly associated with the type of phthalates intentionally added to products.

The study found that boys tend to have higher levels than girls, and the different levels between racial groups may have to do with socioeconomic factors, brand preference, accessibility, product application methods or frequency of use, Bloom said.

What is the difference between cheap and expensive personal care products?

Cheaper products are more likely to contain higher levels of phthalates because it’s likely been in a plastic tube for longer and may be subject to more heat, two issues that cause the chemicals to migrate at higher rates .

Products that are labeled “phthalate-free” are usually more expensive, but that just means the chemicals weren’t intentionally added to the product. Phthalates from the containers can still migrate into the products, and the study found no difference in the levels of the chemical in the urine of those who used “phthalate-free” products compared to those who did not.

Bloom noted that the EU has limits on many types of phthalates in personal care products, so it is possible to make effective products that are not contaminated with the chemicals.