According to the Environmental Working Group, recent laboratory tests reveal that teenage girls are being contaminated with chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and body care products.
Sixteen chemicals from four chemical families (phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks) were detected in blood and urine samples from 20 teen girls, ages 14 – 19 years.
Studies link these chemicals to potential health effects including cancer and hormone disruption. These tests also indicated that young women are widely exposed to cosmetic preservatives, with 2 parabens, methylparaben and propylparaben, detected in every single girl tested.
Teen study participants used an average of nearly 17 personal care products each day, most of them unknowingly exposing themselves to higher levels of cosmetic ingredients linked to potential health effects at a time when their bodies are more susceptible to chemical damage.
Cosmetics and other personal care products are an alarming example of government and industry failures to protect public health. Federal health statutes do not require companies to test products before they are sold. As a result, nearly all personal care products contain ingredients that have not been assessed for safety and are not required to meet standards of safety.
Help your teens make healthy choices by educating them about the toxic chemicals in products they use.
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