Should We Know About Endocrine Disruptors in Beauty Products? This Expert Says Yes

I’ve noticed a few buzzwords floating around recently which seem to have taken over from the overarching “clean” and”natural” beauty movement. It seems for many who were interested in ensuring the products they were using were safe and non-toxic it is no longer enough just to state on the packaging that it contains natural or vegan ingredients. These days we want to know what all the ingredients are doing to our body and in particular to our hormones and endocrine system. Endocrine disruptors have become the new beauty buzz phrase to know.

The idea of green-washing the clean beauty movement means that many brands are now looking at alternative ways to translate to the customer a product is non-toxic and safe to use. Many have felt brands were able to take advantage of the pretty loose, and sometimes non-existent, legislation in place to be classified as natural or organic, meaning the word clean was fundamentally compromised. But truly “clean” beauty products are now important to many – it’s similar to the anti ultra-processed food movement, which claims not only is this type of food is bad for our waistline but it can also disrupt our hormones too.

Hormone, or endocrine, disruptors have been a big topic of conversation throughout the “clean” beauty movement, and have gained quite a lot of momentum in the scientific community over the last 20 years, with many studies finding that certain ingredients in our cosmetics, fragrances, and even nail polishes could be having a detrimental effect on our fertility and overall hormonal system.

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Tule Park is a co-founder at SkinDiligent, she is pioneer in epigenetics skincare and nutritional therapist.

One brand that isn’t taking any risk is Skin Diligent, founded by Tule Park. This epigenetics brand focuses on making non-toxic products suitable for the whole family. It also checks all of its products for endocrine disruptors. This move is so interesting as it takes transparency to a whole new level, as well as indicates the route the industry could be taking in the future.

To explain why Skin Diligent has taken this step and what this means for the skincare sector I asked its founder for all the information.

What Does Endocrine Disruption Mean?

In simple terms endocrine disruption occurs when certain chemicals interfere with the endocrine system. “Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) mimic or block natural hormones,” Park tells PS UK. “This leads to imbalances and miscommunication within the system.” But, what does this mean in layman’s terms and how does it affect our overall halth? “The endocrine system is critical in our wellbeing because it regulates almost every function in our bodies, from growth and metabolism to mood and reproduction,” explains Park.

Why Should we be Concerned About Endocrine Disruptors?

“Research has linked EDCs with a long list of health issues, including developmental problems, reproductive issues, low sperm count, metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes, neurological impairments, and even certain cancers,” says Park. “It’s alarming because EDCs are pervasive. They are found in everyday items like plastics, personal care products, household cleaners, paints, candles, pesticides, and many more. This means that everyone is at risk of exposure,” she warns. However, in terms of when it can have the greatest impact on our health, Parks says we are more vulnerable to these chemicals throughout infancy, adolescence, pregnancy, and in old-age. With more and more tweens getting into skincare, including my own, this seems quite a big concern, especially as Park insists, “it only takes tiny amounts of EDCs to have an impact on our health.”

What is the Benefit of Knowing How a Product Would Affect Your Endocrine System?

“Sadly, regulatory frameworks have been notoriously slow in identifying and banning toxins, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). It wasn’t until the early 2000s that WHO recognised them as harmful. Despite growing evidence, the list of officially recognised EDCs remains relatively small,” she tells PS UK.

In the EU, which has one of the most comprehensive approaches to regulating EDCs, only 16 substances have been formally identified as EDCs under REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). Other regulations (like Biocidal Products Regulation) include additional chemicals, bringing the total to 50 so far. To put it in perspective, there are thousands of chemicals in commercial use.

“It takes a decade for chemicals to be recognised as an EDC due to the need for extensive scientific evaluation, public consultation, agreement among EU states, and the powerful influence of industry lobbying,” she tells PS UK. “But even after a substance is banned, products containing these toxins can sometimes continue to be sold for up to seven years.”

Another frustration according to Park is that many banned ingredients are simply replaced with structurally similar chemicals that have not yet been evaluated or regulated. “These new ingredients may pose similar risks but would need to undergo the same lengthy evaluation process before they can be assessed and potentially banned,” Park tells PS UK. “There’s also the risk of the ‘cocktail effect’, where the combination of multiple chemicals in a product leads to unforeseen and harmful interactions not apparent when each chemical is evaluated individually.”

These are the reasons Park has decided that her brand, Skin Diligent, will proactively test the final product formula for endocrine disruption. “So far we have been able to test all our skincare final formulas on human oestrogen receptors, to ensure our products are truly safe for everyone including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, teens, menopausal women as well as women who have undergone oestrogen related cancer treatments,” she says.

Who Should Consider How a Product Affects the Endocrine System?

According to Park the simple answer is everyone. “It affects men and women, of all ages. Not only do these toxins accumulate in our bodies, they are epigenetic factors that can be passed down to future generations,” she concludes.

Although this is still a relatively new area and there are a lot of products which remain untested there are definitely products available that do not contain any harmful ingredients, including many natural deodorants, water-based nail varnishes and non-toxic, natural based cleaning products. However I can see this will end up being a big focus over the next few years for other brands, who will hopefully also take a stand and start to reassure the public that the ingredients will not cause unnecessary harm.

Lauren Ezekiel (she/her) is an associate editor at PS UK, where she writes about all things beauty and wellness. With a degree in journalism she began her career in 2008. Lauren is obsessed with skincare, hair and makeup. A mum of two, Lauren is an advocate for the benefits of beauty and self-care for your mental well-being, which inspired her award-winning charity initiative We C U 2020. Her work has been published in Grazia, OK!, Health & Beauty, The Sun, Asda, Dare and Metro.