The average consumer is exposed to more than one hundred chemicals a day through personal care products (PCPs) alone, according to a Rutgers Health study that examined the chemical exposures occurring through the specific products used daily by study participants.
The study in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology examined nearly 9,350 specific products used by 593 study participants, and though most people used dozens of potentially dangerous chemicals, high exposure levels weren’t universal: participants who expressed concerns about product safety and sought safer alternatives used products with less hazardous ingredients.
“Average exposure was high, but there was a silver lining,” said Emily Barrett, lead author of the study and vice chair of the Rutgers School of Public Health’s Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. “We saw signs that people who tried to limit exposure succeeded in doing so, so it’s certainly possible for others as well.”
The researchers collected information about product usage in the last 24-48 hours and general demographic data from a cohort of students, faculty, staff and others affiliated with Rutgers University. Participants reported using an average of 14.5 personal care products daily, ranging from basic items such as soap and toothpaste to cosmetics, fragrances and hair styling products.
The study team, which included Adana Llanos and one other researcher from Columbia University, linked each specific product to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database, which assigns hazard scores on a scale from 1 (least hazardous) to 10 (most hazardous), based on ingredient profiles. These scores reflect potential concerns across 17 health categories, including cancer risk, developmental toxicity, allergies and endocrine disruption.
"They take the ingredient lists, they match the ingredients onto the totality of literature that's out there – scientific papers, toxicological reports – and identify potential hazards associated with each one of those ingredients," Barrett said of the methodology.
The researchers found perfumes and colognes consistently ranked as the most hazardous products because they often contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals called phthalates.
Different product categories pose varying health concerns. Hair products, particularly those containing hormone-active ingredients, have been linked to reproductive cancers. Skin care products with phenols and parabens have raised concerns about reproductive health impacts. The researchers noted, however, that even within the same product category, formulations can vary dramatically, so there are safe products in all product categories.
Notable disparities emerged in the study, with non-Hispanic Black women twice as likely as white women to have used hair products with high hazard scores in the last 24-48 hours. Men generally used products with lower hazard scores than women.
Barrett said the current regulatory environment in the U.S. burdens consumers rather than manufacturers.
“In the U.S., we tend to err on the side of allowing things to be put into our products until they're proven to be unsafe, versus in the EU, where they tend to go by the precautionary principle,” she said, noting that the U.S. bans only about a dozen chemicals in personal care products while the European Union restricts thousands.
The health implications are significant, Barrett said. Studies have shown that higher levels of certain chemicals from personal care products have been associated with preterm birth, reproductive cancers and other adverse outcomes.
Still, changes can reduce risk quickly. “Studies show that when you swap out people’s hazardous products for safer products, their chemical levels drop within a matter of days," Barrett said. For consumers looking to reduce their exposure, Barrett recommends practical steps.
“Use fewer products if you can,” she said. “Cut out the things that don't really feel essential to your routine. Don’t throw out hundreds of dollars of unused products but swap out products for cleaner alternatives as you finish them. And think about using an app or a website like Skin Deep to help you choose a safer alternative.”
Looking forward, the researchers are turning their attention to adolescents, examining how early product choices and social media influences might affect chemical exposures during this critical developmental period.
“I’ve already drafted my children into the new study,” Barrett said.
