HARMFUL SOAP INGREDIENTS: ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS AND WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID THEM

What goes on your skin?

Disruptors. It sounds like a negative word, and (SPOILER ALERT!!!) endocrine disruptors are harmful to our hormonal health. I will briefly explain to you why.

What are EDCs? They are synthetic chemical compounds that act on the body’s endocrine (hormonal) system.

Why are they harmful? They exert a hormone-like effect on the body. Because their chemical structure is almost identical to our body’s natural hormones, they can perfectly bind to hormone receptor sites in the same way that a natural hormone would, creating a cumulative effect. They interfere with every phase of our natural hormones: production, transport, metabolism, and excretion.

What problems can they cause? These chemical compounds dressed up like natural hormones create not only hormonal issues (infertility, endometriosis, spermatogenesis, early puberty, and hormone-related cancers) but also affect immune and nervous function.

Where can they be found? Food (from pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides), cleaning products, laundry products, plastic food wraps and storage boxes, plastic water bottles, non-stick cookware, canned food, tap water, home furnishings, building material, and finally, personal care products: shampoo, conditioner, body cream and lotions, shower gel, perfumes and fragrances and sun cream.

Now, let’s not panic. We can slowly tackle each one of the issues above, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Even with our best efforts, we won’t be able to avoid them totally, but we can start by caring about what goes into our skin and looking for alternative ways of personal care. I will tell you what ingredients to avoid in your soap and shower gels, but first, I want to say something crucial in capital letters:

SOLID SOAP BAR DOES NOT EQUAL = GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN.

Many solid soap bars in the market are solid detergents (meaning they contain the same rubbish of a shower gel, but they are packed in a solid shape to give us an illusion of goodness. It is marketing)

How can we understand if we buy soap or a solid detergent?

By reading the INCI (International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredients)

What to AVOID (read your labels!!!)

• Parabens (you can find these names on the labels: methylparaben, propylparaben, isoparaben, or butylparaben). Parabens are one of the most popular preservatives in cosmetics (and pharmaceutical products). They’re also easily absorbed into the human body and one of the most well-known endocrine disruptors.
• BPA (bisphenol A), is used in containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles. It interacts with hormone receptors (such as those for your thyroid) and can be found in shampoos and shower gel bottles.
• Triclosan (an antimicrobial agent added to cosmetics) also affects the immune response and cardiovascular function.
• Benzophenone-3 (read your sunscreen label!) disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal system, which regulates the reproductive and immune systems.
• Phthalates (listed as “fragrance” on various products) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals associated with pregnancy loss.
• Fragrances (see above)
• Per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are added to some cosmetics, such as foundations and moisturising creams, to help them penetrate the skin and are commonly found in dental floss.
• Glycol ethers are a group of solvents used in paints, cleaning agents, liquid soaps and cosmetics.

Now you know how natural soap can positively affect your health.

Find out how it can positively affect your skin.