Beauty is Pain? Cancer Associations in Personal Care Products
As the cosmetic industry continues to grow, more personal care products (PCPs) involved in beauty, hair, hygiene, and skin care have been advertised to women and their consumer base. However, oftentimes PCPs can be sources of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which can disturb certain hormones from functioning normally. As such several research studies have raised questions about the chemical composition of these products and whether they are medically safe to use.
According to a recent study written by epidemiologist Che-Jung Chang and others under Environment International, there may be strong correlations between the use of certain PCPs and the development of three types of gynecological cancer: breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer. This is mainly due to the fact that these cancer types are influenced by levels of estrogen–a hormone that is primarily involved in the female reproductive system. To accurately study the hypothesized associations between cancer and cosmetics use, Chang asked the participants about the frequency of use for a total of 41 products (12 for beauty-related, seven for hair-related, eight for hygiene-related, and 14 for skin-related) in the past 12 months starting from their baseline visit. The frequency ranges scaled from one to five with one as “did not use,” and five as “more than five times a week.” Those who were diagnosed with one of the three types of cancer after they were enrolled in the study were marked as “cases.” The research also included other questions regarding demographics, reproductive history, and lifestyle factors that could contribute to PCP use and tumor development.
According to a recent study written by epidemiologist Che-Jung Chang and others under Environment International, there may be strong correlations between the use of certain PCPs and the development of three types of gynecological cancer: breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer. This is mainly due to the fact that these cancer types are influenced by levels of estrogen–a hormone that is primarily involved in the female reproductive system. To accurately study the hypothesized associations between cancer and cosmetics use, Chang asked the participants about the frequency of use for a total of 41 products (12 for beauty-related, seven for hair-related, eight for hygiene-related, and 14 for skin-related) in the past 12 months starting from their baseline visit. The frequency ranges scaled from one to five with one as “did not use,” and five as “more than five times a week.” Those who were diagnosed with one of the three types of cancer after they were enrolled in the study were marked as “cases.” The research also included other questions regarding demographics, reproductive history, and lifestyle factors that could contribute to PCP use and tumor development.
Some endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can be found in personal care products are bisphenol A, triclosan, parabens, and phthalates.
Image Source: Toa Heftiba
After obtaining health screening updates from their participants for an average of 11.6 years, the investigators were able to observe 4,226 cases of breast cancer, 277 cases of ovarian cancer, and 403 cases of uterine cancer. To better understand the results, Chang utilized quantile-based g-computation, which measures the effect of a certain product on cancer while taking into consideration usage of other products simultaneously. With this statistical analysis, the study discovered that there were high correlations between beauty care products and breast cancer in women–especially postmenopausal women. Among all the tested products, artificial nails (acrylic or gel), nail polish remover, and mascara were found to be the strongest contributors to this type of cancer. As for ovarian cancer, they have been linked to hygiene products, such as using douche, which is conducive to 57.6% of the cases, or talc (baby powder). When using a slightly different model that calculated the effect of single-product use, Chang and others identified clear associations between uterine cancer and skin care–especially with cuticle cream and petroleum jelly. Chang and others also highlight that there were correlations between certain cancer types with race or ethnicity, BMI, and other variables due to differences in how much and what type of products were commonly used by certain groups of people.
While PCPs have long been questioned for its possible relation to these gynecological cancers, consumerism for cosmetics remains strong due to marketing strategies used by beautification companies like demographic segmentation. This is commonly seen in skin-care brands promoting wrinkle-free cream/moisturizers or hair-care businesses advertising products that are suited for Black hair. However, amidst all the benefits that may be confidently displayed by these PCPs, one must note that cosmetics are not required to be FDA-approved (federal Food and Drug Administration). Therefore it might be beneficial to review what your personal care products are composed of or consult a medical professional before applying it in your daily routine.
While PCPs have long been questioned for its possible relation to these gynecological cancers, consumerism for cosmetics remains strong due to marketing strategies used by beautification companies like demographic segmentation. This is commonly seen in skin-care brands promoting wrinkle-free cream/moisturizers or hair-care businesses advertising products that are suited for Black hair. However, amidst all the benefits that may be confidently displayed by these PCPs, one must note that cosmetics are not required to be FDA-approved (federal Food and Drug Administration). Therefore it might be beneficial to review what your personal care products are composed of or consult a medical professional before applying it in your daily routine.
Featured Image Source: Nataliya Melnychuk
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