It is a shocking news to all of us that the shampoos and creams which we use everyday which we consider harmless can be a cause for infertility and even testicular cancer in boys even before they are born.The culprit is Phthalates commonly found in skin lotions, shampoos, conditioners, make-up, perfumes, nail polish, hair spray etc.Phthalates is rarely listed as an ingredient on the bottle, so most of the time we are unwittingly using them
Phthalates are hormone-disrupting chemicals.Numerous studies conducted worldwide have confirmed that they are toxic to reproductive system and have other side effects.Phthalates reduce female fertility and can cause premature breast development in young women.Phthalates in a mother’s body can effect the fetal development of her child.Pregnant ladies who are exposed to high levels of phthalates are more likely to have sons with altered genital development and altered levels of testosterone.
The chemical disrupts the male hormone testosterone at a crucial stage of foetal development and doubles the rate of defects.In men, phthalates lower sperm counts, reduce sperm motility, and damage sperm.The alarming increase of reported cases of testicular cancer can also be attributed to this chemical.Women of reproductive age were found to have higher level of Phthalates in their body, the reason could be the growing use of cosmetics and plastic products.Phthalates have also been linked to obesity as they can also act as endocrine disruptors.Statistics show that in the last 50 years infant boys diagnosed with genital abnormality has doubled.By washing their hair or by using make-up the pregnant women are unknowingly increasing the risk of their sons suffering defective sex organs, low sperm counts and even cancer
Phthalates are used to make plastics soft and flexible.A *** study tested 72 cosmetic products from major U.S.brands and found phthalates in nearly 75% of them.None of them had the word phthalates on the label.The only remedy for this Gordian knot is reduce our exposure to phthalates by avoiding Vinyl and PVC plastic and choosing phthalate-free cosmetics.Alternatives like Shikkakkai and herbal powders can be used for shampoos, dye can be substituted with natural henna and home made fruit face packs and honey can be used to replace chemical rich cosmetic creams.The health and wellbeing of the future generation is in our hands, so if we can take a little trouble our children will be hale and healthy.
Dr.Anita Mani
