Breast cancer and chemicals in cosmetics.

• Only 1 in 10 cases of breast cancer are linked to family history.
• Many more women are diagnosed today than 20 years ago.
• Science implicates the environment as a reason for the rising rates.

For these reasons, it is time to ask ourselves about the chemicals we are exposed to every day. These are some of the most frequently used in cosmetics and beauty products:

• Parabens (Preservatives). Used in lotions, shampoos, and other cosmetics. Some parabens are classified as endocrine disruptors (they mimic estrogen in the body). Higher exposure is linked to increased risk of breast cancer. 

• Phthalates: (Plasticizers). Found in nail polishes, synthetic perfumes. These chemicals disrupt hormones and have been linked to early puberty in girls and as a risk factor for breast cancer. 

• Fragrances: Secret mixtures of chemicals used in perfumes and scented cosmetics. “Perfume” may include phthalates, synthetic musks (which can disrupt hormones), and ethylene oxide (a breast carcinogen). Companies are not required to list these chemicals on product labels. 

• Nonylphenols: Used in some cleaning products. They have been shown to disrupt hormones. 

• Sunscreens: Some behave like estrogens and have been shown to cause some breast cancer cells to proliferate. 

• Isobutane: Propellant used in hair sprays, gel, mousse, shaving cream. Category 2 carcinogen; breast cancer agent. 

• DISODIUM EDTA: (DEA/MEA/TEA): Found in bubble baths, soaps and facial cleansers. These are readily absorbed by the skin. Repeated application of DEA (a detergent base) results in increased cases of liver and kidney cancer.

• Ethoxylated compounds: dimethicone, PEG-40, ceteareth-12 and other compounds with the syllables “eto” or “PEG” used in a wide variety of cosmetics. These compounds are formed by treatment with ethylene oxide, a breast carcinogen.

• Metals: Found in a variety of cosmetics, dyes, sunscreens, etc. Iron, nickel, chromium, zinc, cadmium, mercury, and lead have been found at higher levels in women with breast cancer than in women without breast cancer. Nickel, chromium, cadmium, mercury, lead, copper, cobalt, and tin also have estrogenic effects on breast cancer cells in the laboratory. 

• Vaseline: a petroleum derivative widely used in lipsticks and creams. Much of the Vaseline on the market is processed in an unfamiliar way and has been found to be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are endocrine disruptors and carcinogenic substances. 

• Toluene: Used in some nail products. May be contaminated with benzene, a known carcinogen. 

• Triclosan: A derivative of the infamous Agent Orange (used in the Vietnam War as a chemical weapon; commonly used in antibacterial soaps). More research is needed to understand how triclosan is related to breast cancer, but evidence suggests it affects male and female hormones, such as thyroid hormone, with effects on weight and metabolism.