Skincare & Hormonal Health

February 22, 2022 Paige Hubert

Skincare & Hormonal Health

Okay guys! Today, I want to talk about something that most of us have never heard of, but affect every single person on a daily basis: Xenoestrogens.

Let’s start at the beginning: What are they??

Xenoestrogens are synthetic hormones (“xeno” means “forgein”) designed to mimic the natural hormone estrogen. They’re found in everything from the plastic in our water bottles to food additives, v@ccines, household cleaners, and in the pesticide you use on your lawn. Basically, if you live some semblance of modern life, Xenoestrogens are there to keep you company.

But why should we care?

Hormones are super important for how our bodily functions. They basically help regulate everything from sleep, hunger, weight loss, stress, and our moods. Basically, if our body needs something, a hormone is there to help. When a chemical like Xenoestrogens gets into our bodies, it can really disrupt this natural process. A ton of research has linked Xenoestrogens to increased risk for thyroid dysfunction, breast and prostate cancer, menstrual irregularities, infertility, heart disease and so many other things!

What’s more, having too much estrogen in our bodies can lead to estrogen dominance. This happens when our natural estrogen competes for space with the Xenoestrogens. This can lead to:

Mood swings
Anxiety and depression
Reduced libido
Chronic fatigue and weight gain
Difficulty with focus and brain fog
Insomnia

Now…our bodies are all about homeostasis – keeping a balance, not being at one extreme or the other. And a way that Xenoestrogens can reallllly throw our body out of whack is through our skincare routines. Research has found that Xenoestrogens in skincare products make us more vulnerable because we absorb the chemicals directly through our skin into the bloodstream.

The good news is that we can more easily decrease our Xenoestrogens exposure by choosing skincare products that have significantly lower levels of this chemical – or none at all! This is by no means an exhaustive list, but three of the most common Xenoestrogens include:

Phthalates are a plasticizer commonly found in moisturizers and are often listed as DEP, DBP, and DEHP on the list of ingredients. However, sometimes phthalates aren’t listed because they are included under the vague phrasing “fragrance.”
Parabens are common in shampoo, conditions, moisturizers, and scrubs. These are relatively easy to spot on the ingredient list because it will end with “-paraben.” A lot of products will also label themselves “paraben-free.”
Triclosan is often listed as this or triclocarban. An easier way is to avoid products that claim to be “germ killing,” “odor fighting” or “anti-bacterial.”

The even better news is that more and more people are becoming educated about what they put into their bodies – and are speaking out. Organic, synthetic-free skincare products are out there. You can simply Google it and dozens of companies will pop up. Among my favorites are Osea and Osmia for their commitment to being Xenoestrogens free. Of course, it’s always important to research a company’s mission statement to see if their values fit yours. (Bonus if you go with a company that packages in all glass containers!)