Could allowing your daughter to wear makeup be increasing her breast cancer risk?
Research shows 9 out of 10 girls are wearing makeup regularly by the time they are 14. In fact, the number of girls aged 11 to 14 who use makeup every day has doubled in two years! Yet girls are most vulnerable to the chemicals in makeup - many of which are linked to breast cancer - during the years when their bodies are developing! (Environmental Working Group report, 2008)
The cosmetic industry has been increasingly targeting our daughters over the last decade, with a range of cutesy products designed for young girls. As a mother, I know that I allowed myself to be persuaded that 'kiddy makeup' was okay because it was just the same as playing dress up. I assumed that the products would be extra safe because of the age range it was marketed to, but clearly that was not the case! A look at any of the 'kiddy' cosmetics will quickly show you an alarming range of ingredients whose name you can't pronounce (which usually means chemicals). Do a bit more research and you will find that there are ingredients like phthalates which are linked to breast cancer, birth deformation, asthma and early puberty. You will also find lead, formaldehyde and other harmful ingredients.
A study of teenage girls by the Environmental Working Group discovered hormone-disrupting chemicals (commonly found in cosmetics and body care products) present in their bodies. It found 16 different toxic chemicals in blood and urine samples! Many of these are linked to serious health risks in lab animals, even at low-dose levels.
Many of the ingredients in makeup and skin care products mimic the effect of oestrogen. This is of great concern, because it is widely accepted amongst scientists that it is the increased exposure to oestrogen in our environment that has lead to the rise in breast cancer over the last 50 years. (Breast cancer Network(NZ)report, 2006)
Strategies for protecting our daughters from the chemicals in cosmetics
1)The first thing to do is start reading labels, particularly the ingredients list. As a rule of thumb, if you can't pronounce it - don't buy it! Be suspicious: Words like "natural" or "hypoallergenic" look reassuring, but they may well be misleading.
2)Educate yourself and your daughters. There is a lot of information on the net about the chemicals in cosmetics issue. A good place to start is at www.SafeCosmetics.org. There is also an alarming report that is worth reading, even if it is a bit scientific, at www.breastcancernetwork.org.nz/docs/Insidious%20Oestrogens.pdf">Insidious Oestrogens.
There are also places that will educate your daughter on cosmetic safety. For instance, as part of their Building Social Confidence program, one business - Grace Academy (www.graceacademyoz.com)- is arming girls with the information they need to make safe and healthy choices in cosmetics and skin care. “There are safe products available, if you know what to look for. We also teach girls about natural products they can make themselves.” said Karen McIlveen, principal of Grace Academy, “For instance, the chocolate facial mask is a wonderful moisturiser!”
3)Make your own cosmetics and skin care products! Women often assume that you have to pay a fortune for a product that is good for your skin, but that couldn't be further from the truth! You can easily make natural products in your kitchen, which are often better for your skin than anything you can buy in the shop. You can teach your daughter to make lip glosses, face masks and bubble baths in just a few minutes, knowledge that will save her a lot of money down the track! Download recipes at safe cosmetics, if you are interested.
4)Shop in places that sell organic and natural products. Health stores often have natural cosmetics and skin care products, but again, read the labels carefully. Just because products are in a health store doesn't mean they are free of harmful chemicals.
5)Limit you and your daughter's overall exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals. While our bodies have an inherent ability to get rid of excess oestrogen, many of the man-made compounds can't be broken down and end up accumulating in the body.
One way to reduce the load on our bodies is to use glass containers as much as possible, as plastic containers often have these harmful chemicals. Another way to reduce exposure is to avoid all shop-bought cosmetic and skin care products, including shampoos and deodorants. In fact, some of the worst offenders are sunscreens, with five out of the 6 having oestrogen-like ingredients. Instead seek out products that are made from 100% natural ingredients. You may have to do a bit of detective work at first. For instance, aromatherapy businesses often make up their own skin care products which are natural and wonderful for the skin.
6) Ultimately, you may have to refuse to allow your daughter to wear makeup and skin care products until her body has stopped developing. As she is most vulnerable when her body is developing, taking such a stand may protect her from breast cancer in the long run.
The pressure being brought to bear on cosmetic companies is slowly forcing them to withdraw these chemicals from their product lines. However, it will be some time before it is safe to use shop-bought products. In the meantime, we must protect our daughters from being exposed unnecessarily to products which may cause them harm later in life. Some exposures are out of our control but limiting their exposure to shop-bought products is one thing we can control, and must, for our daughters' sake. For more advice that mothers need to give their daughters, please sign up for more articles at http://advicefordaughters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.
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