Endocrine disruptors and possible impact during pregnancy

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can disrupt the body's hormonal balance. They are found in many everyday products that we use regularly, including plastic bottles, toys, food containers, detergents and a range of hygiene products such as skin lotion, sunscreen, makeup and deodorant. These substances have received increased attention due to their potentially harmful effects on health. It is important to be aware of these substances, especially if you are planning to become pregnant, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have young children, as they may be particularly sensitive to these chemicals. By understanding which products contain these substances, we can take steps to reduce our exposure and protect our health.

The role of hormones in the body

Hormones play a crucial role in many of the body's functions. They help regulate and coordinate activities such as our sexual development, metabolism and overall body functions. Endocrine disruptors can mimic or disrupt the functions of natural hormones in the body. They can bind to hormone receptors, which can activate or block the effects of natural hormones. This can lead to a wide range of health problems, as the body's hormonal balance is essential for normal function and development.

Health risks

Endocrine disruptors can cause several serious health problems. They can interfere with the body's endocrine system, the body's regulation through hormones, which is crucial for maintaining physiological balance. Disruption of this system can lead to various diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and various cancers. Exposure to these substances often occurs over time and can have cumulative effects, i.e. several different effects interact with each other, making it difficult to directly link specific diseases to specific exposures. There is also a cocktail effect to consider, where the mixture of different chemicals may have stronger or different effects than the individual substances.

Some of the diseases and health problems that research suggests may be linked to endocrine disruptors are as follows:

Cancer -Breast cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer and thyroid cancer.

Obesity and diabetes - Type 2 diabetes has more than doubled since 1980.

Endometriosis - the presence of the endometrium outside the uterus.

Birth effects - Low birth weight, aborted pregnancies and genital malformations in young boys.

Breast development - Young girls enter puberty and develop breasts earlier.

Pregnancy, young children and endocrine disruptors

During pregnancy and early childhood, we are particularly sensitive to the effects of endocrine disruptors. Fetuses and young children do not yet have fully developed systems to deal with these substances, making them more vulnerable. It is therefore important that pregnant women and parents of young children pay special attention to the products they use and the environments they are in to minimize the risk of negative health effects. The most critical stage for endocrine disrupting effects is the fetal stage. Exposure of a foetus to an endocrine disruptor may result in effects on brain development or increased risk of disease in adulthood. In an adult, the body is better able to self-regulate the levels of hormones, but in fetuses and young children this mechanism is not as developed, which increases the risk that an endocrine disruptor may have long-term negative effects.

Substances to avoid in cosmetic products

There are specific substances in cosmetic products that are known to have endocrine disrupting properties. These include certain preservatives such as parabens, UV filters in sunscreens such as benzophenones and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, fragrances containing phthalates, and silicones. Avoiding these substances is particularly important for pregnant women and young children. When choosing cosmetic products, you should read the ingredients list carefully and choose products that are free of from these potentially harmful chemicals.

Here you can read our list of substances to look out for specifically in sunscreen products. Substances to watch out for in sunscreen products.

3 tips to reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors

To reduce exposure to endocrine disruptors, people should be aware of the products they use in their daily lives.

Think about the cosmetic products you use in everyday life. Are they all necessary or can you reduce the frequency of their use?
Remember to be extra careful when choosing the products you use often and especially those you leave on your skin and don't rinse off.
You can check the list of ingredients yourself to see if the product contains endocrine disruptors. The Endocrine Disruptor Lists website contains lists of endocrine disruptors and suspected endocrine disruptors. It also shows the legal status of the substances. The website is supported by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and several other chemical authorities in Europe, including the Swedish Chemicals Agency. https://edlists.org/

What do Skinome products contain?

Skinome's products do not contain silicones, preservatives or UV filters with suspected endocrine disrupting effects. Discover our product range here.

References

1. Chemicals Inspectorate: https://www.kemi.se/hallbarhet/amnen-och-material/hormonstorande-amnen

2. Karolinska Institutet: https://ki.se/imm/hormonstorande-amnen

3. National Food Agency: https://www.livsmedelsverket.se/livsmedel-och-innehall/oonskade-amnen/hormonstorande-amnen

4. Swedish Society for Nature Conservation: https://www.naturskyddsforeningen.se/artiklar/allt-du-behover-veta-om-hormonstorande-amnen/

5. Swan: https://www.svanen.se/svanen-forklarar/vad-ar-hormonstorande-amnen/