What are hormone disruptors

Parabens in tumors, phthalates in urine, UV filters in breast milk, and fragrances in body fat. Researchers are increasingly finding chemicals from products in the body. Yes. Unfortunately, it's the real truth. This article will tell you all about it.

Every day, your body is exposed to some 80,000 toxins. In your bathroom, kitchen, living room, and even in your bed. Some of these toxins disrupt your hormones. They're called endocrine disruptors.

So those strange headaches, PCOS symptoms, skin problems, fertility issues, or even serious illnesses? They might be caused by hormone disruptors in your household products . In this blog post, we'll focus on hormone disruptors in personal care products.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that mess up your hormones

Skin care products contain all sorts of substances. Many are essential for the desired result: soft, clean, radiant, or hydrated skin, a fresh scent, or shiny hair. But to make these products easy to apply, long-lasting, pleasant-smelling, and soft, many other (chemical) ingredients are also added.

Many of these substances, however, affect your hormones. That's why they're called endocrine disruptors. In your body, they disrupt the production, transport, binding, and breakdown of hormones . This causes your body to act as if it's producing more or fewer hormones than it should.

That's exactly what you don't want. Because your hormones regulate just about everything in your body. They control all sorts of important processes: your menstrual cycle, appetite, and even your mood.

A substance is a hormone disruptor if it meets these conditions:

• an established endocrine effect (effects the hormonal system), for example via in vitro studies (tests on cells);
• one or more harmful effect(s) demonstrated in an intact organism (animal tests);
• a plausible causal relationship between the two.

Your body can react strongly to these hormone disruptors . Stronger than the "original" hormone would. Sometimes it even produces completely different reactions than you'd expect. So, use less? Unfortunately. Even small amounts can have a significant impact. Moreover, the combination of all these different products means you're already consuming a lot – the so-called cocktail effect.

A well-known example you've been hearing a lot about lately is parabens , which are good for your skin. They extend the shelf life of your products. Research has shown that this commonly used substance has a mild estrogenic effect in mice. This is why parabens are linked to breast cancer. Therefore, brands are increasingly launching paraben-free products.

Where are the hormone disruptors found?

We already mentioned it. Hormone disruptors are in almost everything. A few examples:

• your plastic tuppetware container or bottle;
• Food such as meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, but also processed foods;
• medicines;
• in the soil (via the groundwater through the residual waste);
• fire retardants such as paint, your seat, cables;
• your beauty products such as deodorant, nail polish, (colour) shampoo;
• Cleaning products

What do hormone disruptors do?

You can't simply say that your shampoo gives you migraines, or that your day cream causes PCOS. There are many types of hormone disruptors, and as we've just seen, they're found in almost everything. Here are a few examples of what hormone disruptors can do to your body:

Endocrine disruptors affect your fertility and sperm quality : The endocrine disruptor BPA is linked to sperm abnormalities. Another well-known endocrine disruptor, phthalates, negatively impacts sperm quality. Research has even shown that men's sperm count has decreased by fifty percent over the past seventy years!

In addition, there are increasing cases of breast cancer and fertility problems. Hormone disruptors appear to play a role in this.

Hormone disruptors can disrupt your metabolism . Hormone disruptors increase the risk of diabetes and other metabolic disorders .

Your hormones also have a major effect on your metabolism in general. For example, your metabolism will slow down the week after your period, making you less hungry than in the weeks before. Your metabolism will speed up after ovulation, meaning your body needs extra calories. You can read more about the influence of food on your cycle in " Hack Your Cycle with Nutrition ."

Hormone disruptors (phthalates) increase children's risks of learning, attention, and behavioral disorders . Prenatal (before birth) exposure to phthalates, in particular, can contribute to attention problems in children .

Want to learn more about how to prepare for a healthy pregnancy? Read Sophie's blog: A Better Cycle and Pregnancy Thanks to Guud Woman.

Isn't it checked whether these ingredients are harmful?

Oddly enough, while the rules for the food we eat are strictly enforced, there's little regard for what you put on your body – personal care products are the least strictly regulated and tested.

Cosmetic products don't have to list all their ingredients. Mandatory labeling applies to only about ten fragrances, while a single perfume can contain up to three hundred different chemicals.

What can you do to minimize your intake of hormone disruptors?

They're everywhere, but the good news is you can protect yourself. Young women who changed their lifestyle had fewer phthalates, parabens, and xenoestrogens in their urine after just three days .

The main points:

• Avoid plastic. Use glass instead. This also applies when heating your food.
• Wash your fruits and vegetables, vary your food, and use cast iron pans.
• Opt for natural or ecological cleaning products.
• Choose natural fragrances (essential oils). Avoid perfumed products. Choose safe brands for your beauty products (see below).
• Wash all your clothing and bedding before using it. Ventilate your home twice a day and clean it regularly.

Also, keep this rule of thumb in mind: Products that smell strong, have a nice color, or have a long shelf life contain the most chemicals.

Finally, use an app like the Yuka app. This French app has a database of 500,000 personal care products. After scanning the barcode, the app assigns a score to your product, taking into account hormone disruptors, among other things.

The most common hormone disruptors to avoid

The Anti-Gif Foundation conducted research into 111 popular and well-known personal care products. Sixty percent of these products contained one or more hormone-disrupting substances.

Dive into your bathroom cabinet and check your products for these substances:

• Parabens
• Aluminum
• Fluoride
• Benzyl alcohol
• Sodium benzoate
• Phenoxyethanol
• Bisphenol A, S, F (BPA, BPS, BPF)
• Synthetic perfume
• Phthalates
• Mineral oils
• Polyethylene glycol (PED)
• Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLS)
• Diethanolamine (DEA)
• Propylene Glycol
• Truclosan
• Dioxins
• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFAS)

Have you checked your products? Your cupboard is probably almost empty. Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives.

• Cleaning products : Brauzz , Yokuu
• Shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner : Wondr & Rowse . A solid shampoo is best.
• Skincare: Maiwe & NAAO
• Make-up : Madara & ILIA
• Toothpaste : Boka & Weleda 
• Sun protection : Le Rub , Salt & Stone
• Deodorant : Ray & The Lekker Company

And what about the Guud supplements?

Our supplements contain active, natural ingredients. Our formulations comply with the strict guidelines of the FASFC, the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain. You can read more about our supplements in our blog: What to consider when choosing supplements ?

Want more tips on how to support your hormones and menstrual health? Follow us on Instagram , subscribe to our newsletter, join our Facebook community , or simply chat with us . We're here for you!