This is what happens if you use fewer care products for five days
A new study from France shows: If you reduce your daily skincare and cosmetics routine for just five days and swap out certain products, you can significantly reduce the concentration of individual chemicals in your body.
Shower gel, deodorant, face cream, sun cream, maybe a little make-up: what sounds like a normal morning routine is actually a long list of ingredients. Some of them don't just stay on the skin.
An international team led by first author Nicolas Jovanovic and study leader Claire Philippat from the University of Grenoble Alpes have investigated how a reduced skincare and cosmetics routine affects exposure to certain chemicals. The study was published in the May issue of the scientific journal «Environment International».
Substances in focus: phenols, phthalates and glycol ethers
The researchers analysed the daily routine of 103 women aged between 18 and 30 from Grenoble. To begin with, they recorded which skincare and cosmetic products the participants used on a daily basis. Half of the women used more, the others less than twelve products per day.
Jovanovic and his team then took urine samples from the participants. Using so-called biomarkers - substances or degradation products that can be detected in the urine - they analysed the exposure to certain chemicals. The focus was on phenols, phthalates and glycol ethers.
These groups of substances can be found in care and cosmetic products, for example as preservatives, solvents or components of fragrances. Some of the substances analysed in the study are classified as known or suspected endocrine disruptors - i.e. substances that can interact with the hormone system. Bisphenol A (BPA), for example, is considered an endocrine disruptor because the substance can mimic the effect of oestrogen. Although authorities such as the Federal Office of Public Health often categorise the average exposure of the population as low, this study assumes that even these everyday quantities can have measurable health consequences - especially for unborn children.
Five days of reduced routine
In a next step, the women were asked to reduce or replace their usual skincare and cosmetic products for five days. During the test phase, they were asked to use only these eight products: Soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, sun cream, lip balm, jojoba oil and hand sanitiser.
According to the study, these were free from synthetic phenols, parabens, phthalates and glycol ethers. They were also not packaged in plastic where possible. This is relevant because certain substances are not only intentionally used as ingredients, but can also come into contact with products via packaging or manufacturing processes.
Because phenols, phthalates and glycol ethers are not only found in skincare products, the participants also had to record other possible sources of contact during the five days - such as hot drinks from plastic cups, meals from cans or plastic packaging and the use of household products.
Significantly lower values in urine
After just five days, the researchers found that the concentration of several substances analysed had decreased significantly in the participants' urine.
The concentration of phenoxyacetic acid, a degradation product of a frequently used preservative, fell by 64 per cent. Bisphenol A decreased by 39 per cent, methylparaben by 30 per cent and monoethyl phthalate, a breakdown product of diethyl phthalate, by 22 per cent. This is remarkable because the study period was very short. Nevertheless, the measurable exposure in the body changed significantly.
Using the example of bisphenol A, the researchers also calculated the effect that lower exposure could theoretically have at population level - for example in cases of asthma in children who were exposed to BPA in the womb. According to the modelling, such a change in routine could prevent around four per cent of these cases. From this, the researchers derived potential savings in treatment and hospital costs: around 9.7 million euros per year for France.
What the study does not prove
The study does not show that skincare and cosmetic products are fundamentally dangerous. Only the exposure to certain chemicals in the body was measured - not their direct impact on health.
The study group was also limited: 103 young women from one city were examined. The results are therefore not easily transferable to all people. In addition, the intervention only lasted five days. What would happen over weeks or months was not investigated.
The study is nevertheless relevant. It shows that our daily skincare and cosmetics routine not only has an impact on our appearance. It can also contribute to exposure to certain chemicals in the body. Under certain conditions, however, this exposure can apparently decrease quickly.
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