Hormone disruptors in skin care

Endocrine disruptors are an issue because it affects our bodies’ normal hormones.  And, hormone disruptors in skin care are especially problematic because we don’t even realize they are there and the frequency with which we use them.

Where hormone disruptors hide

The toxins that invade our endocrine system hide in so many things.  Whether it’s the plastic things are packaged in or the receipts we get after purchasing something, it’s all around us.  The preservatives in skin care and food or anything we ingest – like medicine – are very common in the products we buy.  It’s hard to get away from them – but it’s not impossible.

Effects of hormone disruptors

There are numerous effects of these hormone disruptors, and one of them is on our menstrual cycles and even when we’re pregnant.  All this means is that our hormones are out of whack and can have a huge impact on development.  The scary part is that they act like natural hormones so your body may think it has more estrogen than it actually does, causing estrogen dominance.  How much are you bleeding?

If you have heavy periods, you may have extra estrogen floating in your body.  Or, your body may think it has too much estrogen because an estrogen disruptor is mimicking natural estrogen.  Scary, isn’t it?  So, if you have a hormonal imbalance, you can have heavy periods!  All this could be because of the disruptors we are talking about here.

Hormone disruptors in skin care

One of the biggest endocrine disruptors are what’s called xenoestrogens.  They act like natural estrogen and can be found in hormonal birth control, BPA, phthalates, and chemical sunscreens – the ones that contain oxybenzone and PABA.  So, if you’ve been on the birth control pill for 20+ years and use chemical sunscreens – watch out because there are hormone disruptors in skin care and even birth control.

AND, if you have heavy periods or even fibroids, it’s possible you have fake estrogen running throughout your body causing these problems.  Hormone disruptors in skin care is actually very common.

What to do

I know it’s scary to think that our normal, everyday products could be causing some of these menstrual issues.  Having an unusually heavy period or even having no period is a problem.  It causes anxiety and depression.  Now that you know products you use every day could be contributing to the issue, it’s time to do something.

1. Go through your bathroom and look at the products you use every day.  This includes your make-up, shampoo / conditioner, deodorant, perfume, lotion etc.  More information can be found here.
   1. Take an inventory and note the ingredients.  Are there things in there that you can’t even pronounce?  Some of the most common are phthalates, PABA, and benzophenone.
2. Consider your birth control – are you still on birth control?  These likely have endocrine disruptors and you may want to re-think what kind of birth control you use.
3. Sunscreen – we don’t often think about sunscreen.  Heck, I know we often forget to put it on.  But, if you’re using sunscreen that uses a chemical sun block, it’s best to look for a mineral sunscreen that doesn’t contain PABA, oxybenzone or benzophenone.

Bottom line is to start paying attention what you are putting in and on your skin.  It’s time to make some changes if you want to change your quality of life.  This is what I had to do after I started to realize that the heavy periods from my fibroids were possibly caused by these endocrine disruptors.  You’ll be more mindful of what you start using and while some products may cost more, the quality of life you generate will be worth it.