How Your Makeup Can Mess Up Your Hormones

Women and some of the men turn to makeup and cosmetic products to improve their outward appearance. But, to be beautiful on the outside, it should start from within the body. While makeup and beauty products make you look and feel better, some also contain toxic chemicals that can mess up the normal production of your hormones.

What are the harmful chemicals in my makeup?
Most cosmetics and beauty products contain harmful chemicals that can adversely affect the normal and healthy production of your hormones. Here are some of the hormone-disrupting chemicals found in your makeup you need to be wary of:

Phthalates. These are commonly found in most cosmetics and products packaged in plastic or products that contain the word “fragrance” on the product ingredient label. To avoid phthalates, opt for those packaged in either glass or paper packaging. Or better yet, opt for naturally-made cosmetics.

Phenols. These are man-made chemicals that are made from petroleum. The same with phthalates, these are used in plastic products and a variety of cosmetics. The most common makeup products with phenols are lip balms, lotions, and sunscreens.

Parabens. These chemicals are used as preservatives in many beauty products such as makeup, shaving creams, and moisturizers. The most common parabens you should avoid include methylparaben, butylparaben, isoparaben, and propylparaben. They are also shown to increase breast cancer risks.

If you see these chemicals listed on your makeup product label, you better stop using them while you still can. A chemical in one product may not be enough to harm you at once, but long and frequent exposure to these chemicals can pose serious harm to your health.

How can my makeup products mess up my hormones?
How can makeup disrupt and mess up your normal hormone production? Chemicals such as those listed above are also called endocrine-disrupting chemicals. They mimic the hormones the body naturally produces and interferes with the endocrine system.

Hormone-disrupting chemicals either speed up or slow down the metabolism of hormones. They can also take the place of the naturally produced hormones in the cells and result to an overproduction of certain types of hormones.

Specific chemicals like those found in makeup products increase the concentration of estrogen in the blood and lead to different hormonal imbalances such as low libido, PCOS, and PMS. They can also adhere to estrogen receptors in the cells and disrupt ovulation.

Because these chemicals disrupt the normal estrogen production by increasing the number of external estrogens, it increases the risks of breast cancer in women. Exposure to these chemicals can also lead to early or premature menopause.

Where can I buy safe makeup and cosmetic products?
It is a huge challenge to find safe makeup and beauty product alternatives in the market today due to the lack of transparency in labeling makeup and cosmetics. However, there are still ways to make sure that the products you are using are safe from harmful chemicals.

One way is to get crafty and make your own natural makeup and beauty products. Explore the world of DIY and make your own set of makeup by using natural products and ingredients. There are numerous ideas all over the Web to choose and find inspiration from.

Another way is through downloading an app in your smartphones. There is a mobile application called Think Dirty (http://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/) that scans products, helps you learn of their ingredients and health risks and gives you cleaner and safer alternatives.

However, if you already feel different symptoms from your long-time exposure to such chemicals, it’s advisable to have your hormones checked for possible imbalance. If you’re diagnosed of serious hormone imbalances, natural hormone replacement therapy may be recommended.

Your beauty products should pose beauty, not harm. Ditch the unsafe makeup products in your beauty stash and go for safer and natural ones. Be smart and aim for beauty that’s from the inside out!

BY FLORALYN JOY M. TEODORO

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