When I first started digging into this Preconception Prep and fertility health world, I honestly had no clue that this piece of the puzzle would be so important. At the time, I was just beginning to understand how our external environment, specifically the chemicals and toxins we come in contact within it, can impact our internal environment. As I dug deeper into the world of personal care products, their ingredients and the lack of safety testing and regulation within the industry, I was a bit horrified that more people weren’t talking about this subject.
Because as women, we slather all the things all over our bodies. Every. Single. Day. And we trust that these companies have our back, like “why on earth would they use an ingredient that could impact my ability to conceive or cause cancer or mess with my hormones!?” Right!?
It’s almost hard to believe as you begin to unwrap this world, but truth be told there have been thousands and thousands of ingredients introduced to the market with minimal safety testing done. And today, we’re seeing health issues and fertility struggles everywhere we turn and it’s really no coincidence. Not that our personal care products are causing all the issues, but they can play a role for sure.
Especially when you think about the fact that most women use several personal care products in their day to day lives.
My husband used to give me a hard time when I was first learning about this stuff about 11 years ago (he has always loved to play devils advocate...not my favorite quality) and I would remind him that if it was just the Crest toothpaste he was using that was the problem, like he wasn’t exposed to any other chemicals throughout the day from other products, water, So Cal air, etc., then I’m almost positive his body would be able to handle the threat and take care of it as efficiently as possible.
But that’s not the case at all. We are bombarded with modern day chemicals in just about everything so it becomes our responsibility to take charge of our health by learning a bit more about the threats and how we can arm ourselves with ways to live cleaner.
And it’s surely not about perfect. There is no way to avoid every single harmful chemical all the time. No way. You’d have to live in your own little personal bubble and THAT wouldn’t be good for your fertility. It’s more about living consciously, purchasing products mindfully and beginning to see the world around you in a new light...challenging the “norm”.
How beauty + skincare products can impact health, via skin and lungs
So why does it even matter what you slather on your skin anyway and how does it affect your fertility health?
You may have heard that your skin is your largest organ and it has numerous important jobs like keeping water in and pathogens out, insulation, temperature regulation, sensation and synthesis of vitamin D, among other things. Though it’s able to keep many unwanted things out, it is still permeable to certain molecules and the skincare industry has figured out how to use certain chemicals to make other chemicals more permeable, allowing them to more deeply penetrate the skin.
But our skin is not the only way we are exposed to harmful chemicals. Our lungs are another route for chemicals to penetrate our internal environment. Sprays, perfumes, dust from your mineral powder, etc. can be inhaled and absorbed into your bloodstream via lung tissue. I’ve always told clients that if you can smell it, you’re breathing in those chemicals (and I guess some you can’t smell!). I learned from Marilee, one of the founders of Branch Basics, that even when harsh cleaning chemicals are stored under a sink, you may still be affected by their off-gassing fumes without even knowing it.
Another way is through your digestive system. Sure, you don’t intentionally “eat” your beauty products, but think about that lipgloss or lipstick you love or the foundation you unintentionally lick off your lips while you’re putting makeup on. It happens. And it’s something to be aware of (and part of the reason I’m so grateful for safer makeup and skincare options!).
5 Common Ingredients to Avoid for Fertility Health
As women, we desire beauty, sometimes at the cost of our health, but most of the time without being able to make the choice. With all the ingredients on the back of a bottle of shampoo or your nightly face serum, it is almost impossible to decipher what they are unless you’re a chemist. Plus, most of us don’t have the time to try and sort through every single ingredient and double check if it’s messing with our reproductive health or not.
But here’s where you can be empowered to protect your fertility health–by watching out for some of the most common and harmful fertility offenders in your daily beauty + skincare products. I wanted to share 5 ingredients/contaminants to be aware of, where to find them, how they impact your reproductive health and your future little’s developmental health and how to avoid them. As always, choosing safer options is always best, but I’ll get there in a minute...
Parabens
Health concerns: Developmental and reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, cancer
Commonly found in: foundation, body wash, shampoo, face cleansers, lotion, shampoo and conditioner
So here’s the deal–parabens are preservatives and used to keep bacteria, fungi and yeast from growing in your products. Sure, we don’t want these things growing in our products because this wouldn’t be great for our health either, but there are definitely better and safer options for preserving personal care products.
This is a big one because it’s one of the most widely used preservatives on the market and almost every single product I looked at when I was cleaning out my own skincare products contained parabens and sometimes more than one. Methylparaben and propylparaben are the two most common parabens used. It can be hard to wrap your head around an ingredient list on a bottle of lotion or shampoo, but this is an ingredient that is easy to read and easy to spot. Unfortunately, you’ll find it in more conventional personal care products than not if you’re looking for it.
Want to hear something nasty? Parabens are found in nearly all urine samples from adults in the U.S. (regardless of ethnic or socioeconomic backgrounds). Crazy stuff.
Parabens are linked to both endocrine disruption (aka messing with your hormones) as well as reproductive harm. A number of different parabens have estrogenic activity (their ability to mimic estrogen in the body) and at differing degrees which can affect the body in a number of ways, but can specifically reduce sperm production and testosterone levels in men and create long term effects in offspring of mothers exposed to certain parabens during gestation and lactation. All in all, this is a chemical to avoid as much as humanly possible.
How to Avoid It: The natural and organic world of cosmetics and skincare have found effective alternatives to parabens and many companies avoid using preservatives so consumers can just expect a shorter shelf life (like 6 months to a year). Many of my own products are this way which hasn’t been a problem since I tend to use them before their expiration date anyway. You can also look for products labeled “paraben-free”.
Fragrance
Health concerns: Reproductive toxicity, cancer, allergies and sensitivities
Commonly found in: The majority of personal care products including shampoo and conditioner, body lotion, body wash, sunscreen, facial cleansers, makeup, serums, perfume, etc.
Fragrance is defined by the FDA as a combination of chemicals that give perfume or cologne it’s distinct scent. Notice it says “a combination of chemicals.” Fragrances on the market today can have a huge number of ingredients within that one word, “fragrance” and since a “fragrance” is considered a trade secret, companies do not have to list the myriad of ingredients that make up their special scent. That is a major “loophole”!
According to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) there are 3,049 materials that are reported as being used in fragrance compounds. Some of these fragrance ingredients have known health effects including reproductive toxicity, cancer, allergies and more. Some of the big offenders inside the word: diethyl phthalate (DEP), acetaldehyde, benzophenone, BHA, benzyl salicylate and more.
The fact that one word can include hundreds of ingredients that are unbeknownst to the user is pretty scary, especially when you begin to look for this ingredient in your own skincare stash or on a grocery store shelf and realize just how often it’s used.
How to Avoid It: This may be one of the easiest ones to avoid since you can easily find it on the product’s ingredient list. Avoid products list “fragrance” on the label and choose products from companies that actually list out their fragrance ingredients (like Beautycounter).
Phthalates
Health concerns: Developmental and reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, cancer
Commonly found in: Fragranced lotions, nail polish, hair sprays, aftershave lotions, soaps, shampoos, perfumes and other fragranced products
This is a big one because most of the time you will not see this ingredient on a label (though you can look for phthalate, DEP, DBP, DEHP and fragrance). Remember that fragrance “loophole” I touched on above? Phthalates fall under that ever present ingredient “fragrance” and do not have to be listed as an ingredient as it is part of a company’s “trade secret”. This loophole allows for this harmful chemical to be used in a product without the consumer having any idea that it’s there.
Let’s talk health concerns for a moment. Because this one’s alarming. I think the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics wraps up all the issues perfectly,
The European commission has determined that there is sufficient evidence that DBP and DEHP leads to endocrine disruption in living organism.[11] In addition, the Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX) includes DEP,[12] DEHP,[13] and DBP[14] as endocrine disruptors. Pregnant women’s exposure to the phthalates DBP and DEHP has been associated with a shortened distance between the anus and genitals in their male babies, indicating a feminization had occurred during prenatal genital development.[15],[16] The European Chemicals Agency classifies DEHP[19] and DBP[20] as reproductive toxicants. Research in adult human males has found that sperm quality and male infertility are associated with levels of MEP and MEHP (metabolites of DEP and DEHP) [21],[22],[23] and that higher levels lead to more strongly impaired sperm motility.[24] Exposure to phthalates, especially DBP and DEHP, can reduce fetal testosterone production, and these anti-androgenic effects may alter fetal cell differentiation and function, leading to altered male genital development.[25],[26],[27]
Phthalates have been banned from cosmetics in the European Union because of their known health effects. Very surprising to me, if you look up this ingredient (as well as most of the other ingredients listed in this post) are said to be safe to use in cosmetics by the FDA.
How to Avoid It: Because of the possible exposure risk of phthalates in fragrance, avoid products with “fragrance” in the ingredients. Choose “phthalate-free” nail polish, 5- and 10-free polishes are even better.
Heavy metals
Health concerns: Developmental and reproductive toxicity, cancer, organ system toxicity
Commonly found in: Lipstick, foundation, eyeshadow, blush, eyeliner, moisturizers, nail color
Heavy metals are tough because they can be found within a product as an actual ingredient to identify yourself or as a contaminant during manufacturing. This is challenging because if the beauty or skincare company doesn’t test their ingredients for heavy metal contamination, you may never know that the lipstick or eyeshadow you’re using on the daily has unwanted heavy metals that can impact your hormones and reproductive health.
One of the major heavy metals to be aware of as it pertains to fertility health is lead. Lead is unfortunately a commonly found impurity in many color cosmetics, including lipstick. This metal has been linked to reduced fertility in both men and women and can also affect hormones and create menstrual irregularities.
How to Avoid It: With this sketchy ingredient, I have two recommendations to consider–
Use color cosmetics infrequently. This becomes a silly recommendation if you are a woman who works outside of your home, which I’m going to guess would be the majority.
Consider using products from a company who actually tests for heavy metal contamination, like Beautycounter.
Ethanolamines
Health concerns: Male reproductive health, bioaccumulation, cancer
Commonly found in: hair care products like shampoo, conditioner and dyes, foundation, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, lotion, shaving creams, paraffin and waxes, fragrances
This one comes in many shapes and forms (and lots of hard to pronounce names) like triethanolamine (TEA), diethanolamine (DEA) and MEA. DEA has been banned from cosmetics in Europe due to concerns about formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. Ethanolamines allow water-soluble and fat-soluble ingredients to blend together as well as help to control the pH level of products.
Ethanolamines have been linked to liver cancer and bioaccumulation, but the big one as it pertains to fertility is how it’s been shown to affect sperm health. DEA can alter sperm’s structure, creating abnormalities that affect the sperm’s ability to swim and fertilize the egg.
Sperm health is incredibly important for fertility so encouraging your spouse to choose safer products without the use of ethanolamines is a wise choice.
How to Avoid It: Read your labels and look to avoid DEA, TEA and MEA.
For each one of these common potentially health-busting ingredients, the populations of greatest vulnerability are listed as pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers and in my opinion, the man and woman preparing for their healthiest pregnancy and little one should be listed here as well. The preconception period is a is a time when a couple’s eggs and sperm are most vulnerable to poor diet, environmental toxins from personal care products, stress and more.
It can be really confusing to do research on any of these ingredients because you’ll find plenty of sites stating that they are safe, but check where the info is coming from and what their interest is behind it all.
Safer Beauty + Skincare Options
Some of these ingredients are pretty scary, especially when you realize how commonly used they are. It’s one thing for an ingredient to be dangerous to your health, but then to find out they may be floating around in many of the products within your daily routine without you even knowing can feel a tad bit overwhelming.
Here’s the deal–when you know better, you have the ability to DO better and that is so powerful for your fertility and overall health. Beginning to use safer products or continuing to clean up your makeup bag and personal care products can make a huge impact on your fertility health, for both him and her. Not only will you decrease your exposure to fertility-busting ingredients as you make swaps that matter, but as the woman who will carry your sweet little bundle, you create a much safer internal environment for your baby once you become pregnant (which has the ability to positively impact her health into her adult years...yes, I’m serious!).
Pretty incredible, right?
Here are some of my very favorite, tried and true products to make swaps that really count along your health journey. These are companies that I use products from every single day. These companies are creating products with their user’s health as their main focus.
Click through to check find safer swaps that matter!
