Lindsay Deng pushes a red shopping cart filled with miniature bottles of shampoo, lotion, and cosmetics into the travel aisle of her local Target. Preparing for a trip to Texas, the 24-year-old Northwestern University student scans shelves for TSA-compliant versions of products recommended by social media influencers.
“I only look at ingredients that are tailored to my skin type. I feel that as long as the product is on the market and comes from a big company or a trusted brand, it shouldn’t have too many ingredients (to the point of concern),” Deng said. “I trust the manufacturer.”
However, a small study shows that that assumption may not hold true. Researchers suggest that everyday decisions about everything from mascara to moisturizer are important in shaping chemical exposure and health risks.
On average, women use 13 personal care products a day that contain more than 100 unique ingredients, while men use about 11. Approximately 1 in 10 adults use 25 or more products every day. Late last year, the FDA reported that more than 1,700 cosmetic products contained PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals” linked to serious health risks including cancer, birth defects and liver disease.
The survey results were published in the May issue. environment international, Switching from traditional personal care products to non-toxic alternatives has been shown to quickly and significantly reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. Studies have shown that even small changes over just a few days can reduce the body’s levels of substances associated with hormonal disruption, cancer, developmental problems, and reproductive toxicity.
Significantly reduced BPA, parabens and phthalates
Researchers found traces of the toxin in the urine of most participants. Many of these chemicals are often added by manufacturers as preservatives, stabilizers, or antibacterial agents, and are quickly excreted from the body once usage is reduced.
Researchers say the observed reductions may have meaningful health benefits. Over a five-day period, researchers observed a significant reduction in health-damaging chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA), along with reductions in parabens and phthalates.
in particular:
- Bisphenol A (BPA) levels decreased by approximately 39%.
- Parabens reduced by 30%.
- Phthalates decreased by 22%.
“The results of this new study are exciting because they provide new evidence that consumers can rapidly reduce their burden of several known hormone-disrupting chemicals by reducing the use of safer personal care products,” said Dr. Emily S. Barrett, an epidemiologist at the Rutgers School of Public Health and associate director of the Rutgers Center for Environmental Exposure and Disease.
“Ideally, regulations would be strengthened to prevent potentially harmful chemicals from being included in product formulations. But more than that, this study should make consumers feel like they can make smart choices to reduce their own exposure.”
A similar study published last year showed that 70 Black and Latina women in South Los Angeles reduced their exposure to several chemicals associated with health risks by choosing non-toxic personal care products. For example, black women who avoided scented products had about three times lower levels of monoethyl phthalate in their urine samples than black women who paid little attention to product ingredients.
Similarly, Latina women who said they avoided products containing oxybenzone had lower average levels of endocrine disruptors in their bodies than women who did not. However, overall very few participants were knowledgeable about the potentially toxic chemicals themselves.
And there’s no need to do so, especially in marginalized communities, the study authors said at the time.
“It’s great that shopping choices can make a difference and reduce exposure to some harmful chemicals, but the burden shouldn’t be on consumers to protect themselves from dangerous products,” said co-author Dr. Laria Edwards, an associate research fellow at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health.
Urine tests reveal rapid decrease in toxic chemicals
The study followed 103 female university students aged 18 to 30 living in Grenoble, France. Participants reduced or stopped using their usual lotions, cosmetics, perfumes, and hair products for five days.
Instead, we used a non-toxic alternative provided in the study. These included soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, sunscreen, lip balm, jojoba oil, and hydroalcoholic gel. The researchers avoided plastic packaging as much as possible to reduce contamination.
Participants recorded product use and household exposure. They also used a mobile app to record their consumption of food and drinks stored in plastic or cans. Other sources of exposure, such as diet and household products, remained stable.
Researchers collected urine samples 24 hours before and after the intervention. They then analyzed 11 phenols (such as bisphenols and triclosan) and 16 phthalates. They also investigated two types of glycol ethers, which are solvents used in liquid soaps and cosmetics and have been linked to reproductive health hazards.
The analysis showed consistent reductions across multiple toxic compounds used in personal care products.
- Monoethyl phthalate (MEP), a byproduct of diethyl phthalate used in fragrances, decreased by about 22%, consistent with a previous study of U.S. adolescents.
- Methylparaben decreased by approximately 30%.
- Phenoxyacetic acid decreased by 64% and propylparaben frequency decreased.
Reducing BPA exposure during pregnancy
In a separate analysis, reduced BPA exposure during pregnancy was associated with fewer respiratory illnesses and modest improvements in cognitive function in childhood. The researchers modeled how switching products could affect the future health of pregnant women and their children. They say they focused solely on bisphenol A because there is stronger evidence that it has negative effects on children’s health.
Based on a comparison of epidemiological data and biomarkers, the model showed that replacing toxic personal care products with non-toxic products could prevent approximately 4% of asthma and 4.4% of wheezes in children. It also predicted that children’s decline in IQ would be slightly prevented by 0.4 points and the increase in BMI would be slightly reduced by 0.04 points.
The researchers said that although the individual effects were modest, they could be cumulative across the population.
“For other chemicals, health impact assessments were not possible due to the lack of estimated probabilities of causality or appropriate dose-response functions,” the researchers wrote. “However, reductions in these chemicals are also likely to be beneficial, and some studies have linked them to adverse health effects. For example, phenoxyacetic acid is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders at exposure levels similar to those found in our study.”
Changing your shampoo is not enough to protect your health.
The study notes several limitations. The sample included only young adult women from one location, and participants acted as their own controls. Even though you are instructed to maintain your normal habits, your diet, exercise, and other actions may have affected your results.
The short duration of the intervention limits conclusions about changes in exposure over time. The researchers also selected alternative products based on ingredient lists without conducting laboratory tests, so the possibility of contamination cannot be ruled out.
Researchers pointed to product formulation and packaging as a continuing source of exposure. They say switching to safer alternatives can rapidly lower the chemical burden on the body, but broader regulations are needed to protect public health.
“Although the mean reduction in urinary concentrations was significant, some chemicals remained detected after the intervention phase,” the researchers wrote. “Personal changes in PCP use can reduce exposure to these chemicals, but regulatory action will likely be more efficient and fair.”
To reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, choose unscented personal care products and cosmetics. Avoid antibacterial soaps and toothpastes. Also, be wary of long-wearing waterproof makeup that is high in PFAS and imported cosmetics that may contain lead and other heavy metals.
reference
Jovanovic N, Bright F, Thomsen C Measures to reduce exposure to other harmful chemicals: the case of personal care products and cosmetics. environment international. 2026;211:110243. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2026.110243
