Beware the soupy mess of chemicals in personal care products

Ludwig von Beethoven declared, “Only the pure of heart can make a good soup.” Da-da-da-daaaa! Unfortunately, many soups you’re exposed to (we’re not talking chicken noodle or split pea) are made from chemicals found in personal beauty and hygiene products.

Parabens, used as antimicrobial preservatives in personal care products, fragrances, pharmaceuticals and foods, are known to negatively affect male hormones and reproductive systems. Now there’s an indication that when they’re combined with repeated exposure to other chemicals in consumer products, they affect women’s reproductive health, too.

Researchers from George Mason University took 509 urine samples from 143 women ages 10 to 44. They found that the women’s urine contained parabens, benzophenones (filters that block ultraviolet light), chlorphenols (a biocide that suppresses immune system defenses) and BPA (a hormone disruptor found in plastics and cash register receipts) and that various levels and combos were associated with damage to women’s ovarian function and increases and decreases in normal levels of reproductive hormones.

Ask your senators to bring the Personal Care Products Safety Act (S.1113), introduced in May 2017 by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, to the floor for a vote! It’s dead in the (swamp) water. Plus, read ingredient labels (the small type); dodge added nonessential-oil fragrances (parabens show up in them, but not on labels) and fragrance suppressors (same problem); refuse receipts or wash hands immediately after touching them and use certified personal/beauty products free of toxic chemicals (explore products verified by the Environmental Working Group).

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit sharecare.com.