Study finds Korean teenage girls exposed to toxins from cosmetics use

A study has found endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in urine from female Korean adolescents due to daily personal care products use. The researchers stress the public health concern of exposure to these hazardous chemicals, especially in young people.  

The study says the results underscore the need for public health interventions and policies to protect people from the potential health risks linked to ECD exposure, of which cosmetics are a major source.  

The researchers also conducted an intervention study, demonstrating that frequent use of personal care products increased the levels of parabens in urine, while reducing this use simultaneously reduced EDC levels.

Vulnerable group

The study, published in Environmental Research, explains that parabens are frequently used in fluid-based cosmetics, and benzophenones, due to their UV filtering agents, are commonly used in sunscreen formulations.

Teenage girls are a particularly vulnerable group, as the study stresses that exposure to EDCs impacts hormonal health.Teenage girls are a particularly vulnerable group, as the study stresses that exposure to EDCs impacts hormonal balance, menstruation, metabolic homeostasis, development of hormone-related cancers, and neurodevelopment. 

Consequently, exposure may affect reproductive and overall health. Since personal care products are used so frequently, such as daily skin care and makeup, cosmetics may be a major source of this issue. 

The authors point to prior studies demonstrating how reducing cosmetic use also reduces exposure to EDC, although these studies were carried out on adults.

The authors stress that teenagers grow quickly, both mentally and physically, which is crucial for healthy development and long-term health outcomes. 

Regulatory actions

The study concludes that future studies investigating the link between EDCs and young people are needed and that ongoing regulatory actions are being taken globally to combat this issue. 

Personal Care Insights previously reported on the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences systematic evidence map, which enables informed decision-making regarding the link between early puberty and personal care products. The map guides new approaches when evaluating safety for teenagers exposed to EDCs and their effect on puberty.

Previous studies have also demonstrated the danger for female adolescents when exposed to EDCs as they interfere with the whole hormonal system. Last year, the European Environmental Bureau criticized the European Commission (EC) for delaying the ban of carcinogenic and reprotoxic everyday products.

Earlier this year, the EC proposed a significant update to the REACH Regulation, introducing stricter rules directly impacting cosmetics companies retailing in the EU to improve chemical safety.