The meta review, a gold standard in research papers, pulled together 37 recent studies on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in personal care products. It concluded that these chemicals are far too common, they get into our bodies, and they've been linked to a range of hormone-related health effects.
With infertility, reproductive health issues, autoimmune and brain development issues, cancer and thyroid health all cited as being on the rise, looking to where endocrine disruption is happening in our daily life seems more crucial than ever.
What are endocrine disruptors?
Your endocrine system is the network of glands and hormones that regulates growth, metabolism, mood, fertility and much more. EDCs are synthetic chemicals that interfere with that system. They can mimic natural hormones, block them, or change how hormones are made, moved around the body and broken down.
Many EDCs bind to oestrogen and androgen receptors or disturb thyroid signalling. Researchers are also exploring other effects, including epigenetic changes, oxidative stress and inflammation.
One point makes EDCs especially tricky: some act at very low doses, in the same range as the body's own hormones. Their effects don't always scale neatly with dose either, so "a tiny amount" isn't automatically reassuring.
The usual suspects
The review highlights five main groups of EDCs found in personal care products.
How do they get into the body?
The review identifies three routes into the body:
- Through the skin. This is the main route for parabens and UV filters, especially from leave-on products like moisturisers and sunscreen. Solvents and surfactants in a formula can increase how much is absorbed.
- By mouth. Lip products, toothpaste and hand-to-mouth contact all count. Young children and nail or lip biters are more exposed.
- By breathing it in. Sprays, mists and fragrances release fine particles. These also settle into household dust, which we then touch and swallow.
The bigger story is cumulative exposure. No single product may deliver a lot, but layering many products every day adds up. People who report using more products have higher levels of parabens and phthalates in their bodies when tested. Packaging matters too, since containers can leach phthalates and PFAS into the formula on the inside.
Research links to health issues
Most of the evidence they found shows associations, not proven cause and effect. Still, the patterns are consistent enough to take seriously.
- Reproductive health. Studies link exposure to lower sperm quality, ovulation problems, PCOS and reduced ovarian reserve. Parabens and phthalates have also been tied to earlier puberty, particularly in girls.
- Pregnancy and child development. Prenatal exposure to EDC mixtures has been associated with lower cognitive scores by age seven, lower birth weight and childhood obesity. PFAS exposure in pregnancy has been linked to high blood pressure disorders.
- Thyroid and metabolism. EDCs may disturb thyroid function, encourage fat storage and impair glucose control, which could contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
- Hormone-related cancers. Links to breast, prostate and thyroid cancers are being studied, though causation has not been established.
- Brain and mood. Possible links to neurodegeneration and mood disorders are an emerging area of research.
Not everyone carries the same risk. Children absorb more relative to their body weight, and exposure during pregnancy and early life can shape health decades later. The review also notes that low-income and minority communities tend to be more exposed. We would suggest this is due to the higher cost required to buy natural products as well as education around the importance of paying attention to what you put on your skin.
Simple ways to cut your exposure
While we don't need to throw out our whole bathroom cabinet immediately, there are things we can do one at a time, or whatever is manageable for you personally, to help reduce chemical load. Drawing on the review's recommendations, a few small changes can reduce your overall exposure to toxic EDCs:
- Read the label. Look for parabens, triclosan, oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) and phthalates (DEP, DBP).
- Go easy on fragrance. Choose fragrance-free options where you can, especially for leave-on products. Be aware that “unscented” often is a scent unto it itself so it’s best to look for “fragrance free” or at ETTO we refer to naturally occurring fragrance as we only use essential oils, not synthetic fragrance.
- Simplify your routine. Fewer products equals less chance of exposure.
- Think about packaging. Choose products packaged in glass, aluminium cans with BPA free linings or other non-plastic containers, and cut back on canned and heavily processed foods.
- Prioritise the most vulnerable. Take extra care with products for babies and children, and during pregnancy.
- Eat well. More fresh food and enough antioxidant-rich nutrients support your body's defences.
- Start big. If changing one product at a time, look to change up the products you use the most or that cover the most of your body like shower gel or shampoo.
The good news is studies have shown in woman and teen girls a noticeable reduction of chemicals in their urine when they swap chemically laden products for clean alternatives.
What are the regulators doing about it?
Regulation varies widely between countries. The EU takes a precautionary approach, with lists of restricted and banned cosmetic ingredients. The US relies on chemical-by-chemical restrictions, so some ingredients banned in Europe remain legal there. Current safety testing also struggles to capture low-dose effects and the impact of mixtures.
The review doesn’t refer to Australia but here our regulators take an approach that is more aligned with America’s approach. In Australia, no pre-market approval is required, there is no pre-banned list, it follows a risk-based philosophy and they will allow something until it is “proven harmful,” which comes with its own subjections and setbacks, namely that build up over time and increased exposure because of using multiple products with a problematic ingredient isn’t considered.
The authors call for stronger pre-market testing, clearer ingredient labelling and international standards. They also urge the beauty industry to phase out known EDCs and invest in safer, cleaner alternatives.
Until then, being an informed consumer is the best tool we have. Small, sustained changes to what we put on our skin can add up.
Source of the review
Okeoma OI, Adeoba MI, Nwokedi VU. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in personal care products: exposure pathways and health effects. Epidemiology & Health Data Insights. 2026;2(4):ehdi040.
