ArcaMax

Every day, there's a good chance that you have been exposed to more than 100 chemicals in personal care products such as soaps, cleansers, perfumes, deodorants, haircare and oral-care products, makeup and other cosmetics. And many of them, such as phthalates, parabens, and per -- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are known or suspected endocrine disruptors or carcinogens. These days, such personal care products are also being linked to health problems that include reproductive cancers, uterine fibroids, preterm birth, and even feminizing males (at least male frogs). But you can avoid -- or at least reduce -- these hazards. That's the message of a new study in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.

The researchers evaluated the exposure of around 600 folks to 9,350 products to see how many potentially harmful chemicals they frequently encountered. Turns out they averaged exposure to more than 14 personal care products a day, and many of them, like hair straighteners, skin care products, and perfumes/colognes, were big sources of harmful chemicals.

If you want to find out how your personal care products rate in terms of risk and reward, go to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database at www.ewg.org/skindeep. (That's what the researchers used for their evaluation of risk exposure.) And for more information on the best ways to avoid personal care products' health hazards and live younger longer, check out Dr. Mike's book "The Great Age Reboot." And explore iHerb.com's Wellness/Beauty Hub for "Why a Dermatologist Prioritizes Sleep, a Healthy Diet, Vitamin D, and Exercise Daily."

Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).

(c)2025 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.