Surprising ways that endocrine disruptors creep their way into your hair routine

The idea that modern haircare has become too commercialized is a bit of an understatement. Over the years we've seen more brands and products than ever come out, from “highly regulated” beauty agents, that are supposed to be safe and have less side effects. But at what cost? Is it worth sacrificing your health just to look better, or when they could actually harm you with their ingredients?

Here are some examples of endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. All these chemicals can cause harm to the health of people and pets in small amounts, and long-term exposure could increase these unwanted effects. They're also on the cutting edge of new technologies like AI that can help identify toxic compounds in products. So if you're not sure, now is the time to consider switching and finding safer alternatives to prevent harm from occurring to yourself, your children, animals, plant life, and our planet.

1. Parabens

Parabens are organic chemical substances found naturally in many plants, animals, and water. Parabens are typically used to preserve products. Parabens are commonly found in shampoos and conditioners, skin moisturizers and lotions, makeup, and shaving products. However, because our bodies don't process all parabens, overuse or prolonged exposure to one compound may upset internal functions rather than external ones. This could lead to unwanted health problems down the line, that are typically ignored or written off as normal.

Research suggests that parabens can interfere with metabolism. In 2016, though, researchers published a study suggesting that using parabens in shampoo may pose a potential risk of breast cancer. so it makes sense to avoid the stuff.

2. Phthalates

Phthalates come in different forms and often work together in combinations to create new molecules that are harmful to animals and ecosystems. Phthalates in shampoo are frequently grouped under the umbrella category of 'derivatives'. Derivatives are often sold to the public without informing the public on exactly what these derivatives do, making them very difficult to eliminate. For example, when washing hair with shampoo containing benzophenone-3-one (BPO3), the substance binds strongly to proteins in keratinocytes and causes damage to these cells. BPO3 also acts as a type of hormone, meaning it stimulates the production of hormones, and because these hormones aren't produced in sufficient amounts humans develop hormone resistance and hormone imbalances — an example of imbalance is when testosterone levels drop and estrogen levels rise. Studies of humans with hair loss show that exposure to perfluoro-benzene (PFBA) has adverse effects on hair health, especially in those with higher concentrations and longer exposure periods, especially if used excessively. PFBA exposure is also associated with inflammatory diseases such as asthma, allergies, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune disease. 

3. Sulphates

Sulfate is an alkaline that produces sulfur dioxide, releasing gasses that are poisonous to fish, birds, and some mammals. When humans are exposed to large quantities, these gasses result in stomach irritation, headaches, and nausea which can take a toll on mental and physical health.

Sulfate products are widely used in shampoo, toothpaste, laundry detergents, dishwashing powders, and cleaning solutions and therefore commonly used in households.

Although this means that it can often be present in everyday household items, it's not generally known to be carcinogenic. Sulfate products are sometimes labeled as pH neutral, however, most states only require the product label to reflect this. While the US Food and Drug Administration considers sulfate alone to be safe to ingest, the body requires a balance of both sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride. Therefore, when sulfates are used as preservatives and additives, you could be consuming higher amounts of hydrogen chloride than necessary. 

Remember exposures to these chemicals build up overtime, the additive effect, while one use or even lifetime use may not affect you, these exposures are passed to 3 or more generations. Everyone has a different tolerance, and our bodies may respond differently, but at some point continued exposure to these type of ingredients will affect your body’s function in some way.