Chemicals in Beauty Products - Endocrine Disruptors

[AnneEvo]

I've not come across this term before, or at least not conciously. I've been making my own soap and moisturiser for a couple of years to help avoid the chemicals in commercial products. Here is an article on the Breastcancer.org website breastcancer.org/risk/facto.... There are lots more articles about this but I thought posting one from a 'reliable' source may be the way to start. I see there have been articles on here previously but many people may not have read them; it's always worth revisiting this kind of information.

[AnneEvo]

Here's one I found on here: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

[jimh111]

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are of great concern. There is a very detailed document here who.int/ceh/publications/en... that gives an overview.

Traditional toxicology testing of potential thyroid hormone disruptors has consisted of feeding large amouts of suspect chemicals to rodents and looking for cancers, abnormal thyroid growth and measuring TSH and total T4. Whilst this has succeeded in stoping many harmful chemicals it has the unfortunate effect that if a chemical disrupts thyroid hormone action but by chance does not affect TSH it will get manufactured. Thus, chemicals with harmful thyroid effects that cannot be detected with TFTs are marketed!

The WHO and UNEP have called for urgent action to identify markers of thyroid hormone action that could be used to identify these chemicals before they are approved for manufacture. That is they want markers of end-point thyroid hormone activity. I believe EDCs are responsible for cases of hypothyroidism with failry normal TFTs which require supra-physiological doses of thyroid hormone, particulary T3.

[SilverAvocado in reply to jimh111]

jimh111, This is very interesting. Am I right in thinking that if these markers are identified it would be good news for those of us who can have normal looking blood tests but still not be well? That these markers would be able to measure and demonstrate our current conditions, too?

[jimh111 in reply to SilverAvocado]

Yes. I'm not sure if they will be developed though. Companies are interested in profits and academics are always short of funding.

Carla Moran who is in Prof Chatterjee's team at Addenbrooke's is doing some research into a very rare form of resistance to thyroid hormone and is looking for markers which may have a wider use.

[Hidden]

I have never used cleaning sprays for cleaning. Now I use all organic make up and an organic baby cream and soap, I am trying to use cleaner products without so many additives. I will let you know when I am 100 OK?

[Hidden]

Anyway sorry, I forgot to say thank you for your interesting post.

[AnneEvo in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. As I say I make my own soap, I'm making soap today. Haven't made a good shampoo yet.

[Hidden in reply to AnneEvo]

AnneEvo would be interested to hear how you make soap, bars or liquid? I've started making my own cleaning products.

[AnneEvo in reply to Hidden]

Hi cinnamon_girl. This is a good place to start if you're interested soapqueen.com/bath-and-body... It's a simple process. You'll find if you start looking into it that lye is used in the process and while it's a strong alkaline solution, once it mixed with oils and butters a process called saponification takes place which neutralises the lye, so no lye is left in the soap once cured.

[Hidden in reply to AnneEvo]

Thank you AnneEvo and some amazing crafts on that website. Really like the idea of making 'proper' soap but feel it's beyond my energy levels right now. A girl can always dream!

Are the melt and pour soaps worth trying as they do look less time-consuming? I know you can buy kits which makes it sound easy.

[AnneEvo in reply to Hidden]

I would think so. I've not tried them myself but as far as I'm aware the only difference is that the mixing has been done.

[Hidden in reply to AnneEvo]

Thank you.