Chemicals in Self-Care Products Linked to Early Puberty in Girls

Chemicals in self-care products like shampoo, toothpastes and soaps are linked to early puberty in girls.

Exposure to chemicals found in products like shampoo and toothpaste can cause early puberty in young girls. 

(Photo: Liju Joseph/FIT)

A recent study has found a link between pre-birth or peripubertal exposure to chemicals found in common personal care products and the onset of early puberty in young women.

Chemicals like phthalates, parabens and other phenols are found in cosmetic products, shampoos and even toothpastes and soaps. Previous works have shown that these chemicals or their precursors, are associated with altered pubertal timing in animals.

The Study

Researchers from the University of California followed 338 children from before birth to adolescence. Through urine tests of pregnant women and of the children at age 9, chemical concentrations were noted. Pubertal timing was then assessed among 179 girls and 159 boys every nine months between ages 9 and 13.

Scientists discovered that for every doubling in the concentrations of phthalates in a mum’s urine, their daughter’s development of pubic hair occurred 1.3 months earlier, and there was also a link between the mother’s triclosan levels and the girl’s first period.

As reported by The Sun, lead researcher Dr Kim Harley, Associate Professor in Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, explained that girls with higher levels of parabens in their bodies at the age of nine entered puberty earlier.

Harley added that there are many steps that can be taken if women want to reduce their exposure to these chemicals.

Notably, the study found no association between exposure to these chemicals and the puberty development in boys.