Children who use more personal care products like sunscreen, lotion, soaps and haircare items have higher levels of toxic phthalates in their bodies, new research finds, and the highest levels were found in Black and Latino children.
The study checked more than 600 urine samples from four- to eight-year-olds for phthalates, which are highly toxic endocrine disruptors that can alter hormone production, and are linked to reproductive, immune system and metabolic diseases. They are also considered developmental toxicants that impact children’s behavior and learning ability.
The study’s findings are “concerning”, said Michael Bloom, a George Mason University researcher and lead author of the study.
“The results show that the use of skincare products on children are sources of exposure to these chemicals,” Bloom said. “What also definitely raises concern is that these products tend to be used frequently and over long periods of time.”
Phthalates are common plasticizers used in plastic containers across the economy, and many companies also add them as ingredients to personal care products to help stabilize them or carry fragrances. Phthalates can migrate from plastic containers into personal care items, and recent testing has also found them widely contaminating food and medications.
Children are especially vulnerable when absorbing phthalates because they have a greater area of skin surface relative to their body weight, and because their metabolic systems may not be fully developed to help process the compounds. Still, little research on children’s exposure to the chemicals in personal care products exists, Bloom said.
Though the body eliminates the chemicals quickly, humans are exposed to such a high level of them and via so many routes that the consistent exposure presents a health risk.
“The habits that predispose us to exposure to these chemicals, like use of lotion, tend to be routine, so we often end up with a scenario in which by the time we eliminate one dose … we’re putting on lotion the next morning, and this state of pseudo persistence can emerge,” he said.
The use of lotions like moisturizers or sunscreens, as well as oils, were associated with the highest levels in children. Those who reported using lotions in the previous 24 hours showed higher levels of the type of phthalate that migrates from plastic into products, while hair oil usage was strongly associated with the type of phthalates intentionally added to products.
The study found boys tended to have higher levels than girls, and the varying levels among racial groups may have to do with socioeconomic factors, brand preferences, accessibility, methods of product application or frequency of use, Bloom said.
Cheaper products that are purchased from a dollar store instead of a higher end store are more likely to have product with higher levels of phthalates because it has likely been in a plastic tube for longer and potentially being subjected to higher heat, two issues that cause the chemicals to migrate at greater rates.
Products that are labeled “phthalate-free” are typically more expensive, but that only means the chemicals were not intentionally added to the product. Phthalates from containers can still migrate into “phthalate-free” products and the study found no difference in the levels of the chemical in the urine of those who used “phthalate-free” products compared with those who did not.
Little regulation around the chemicals exists. The Food and Drug Administration allows a limited number of phthalates to be added to personal care items, but there is no monitoring or limits on the amount of the chemical that can be in the product.
That makes it virtually impossible for consumers to knowingly avoid the chemicals. Bloom noted the European Union has limits on many types of phthalates in personal care items, so it is possible to make effective products that are not contaminated with the chemicals.
The study, its authors wrote, should “promote discussions among policymakers that regulate manufacture and packaging of personal care products to eliminate endocrine disrupting chemical exposure disparities among children”.
• This article was amended on 14 September 2024. Children have a greater area of skin surface relative to their body weight than adults, not a lower amount as an earlier version mistakenly said.
