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On average, women use 13 personal care products a day, containing more than 100 unique ingredients. Roughly 1 in 10 adults uses more than 25 products daily. A small study shows that routine decisions about everything from mascara to moisturizer matter when it comes to shaping your chemical exposure and health risks, the researchers suggest.

The researchers found traces of toxins in most participants’ urine. Many of these chemicals, often added by manufacturers as preservatives, stabilizers, and antibacterial agents, left the body quickly when use declined.

The observed reductions could result in meaningful health benefits, the researchers say. Over five days, they observed a marked drop in health-harming chemicals, including bisphenol A (BPA), along with decreases in parabens and phthalates.

Specifically:

• Bisphenol A (BPA) levels dropped by roughly 39%.
• Parabens decreased by 30%.
• Phthalates decreased by 22%.

“The results of this new study are very exciting as they offer further evidence that consumers can rapidly reduce their burden of several known hormone-disrupting chemicals by using fewer, safer personal care products,” said Emily S. Barrett, Ph.D., a Rutgers School of Public Health epidemiologist and deputy director of the Rutgers Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease.

She added, “Ideally, tighter regulations would prevent potentially harmful chemicals from being included in product formulations. However, short of that, this study should empower consumers to feel that they can make smart choices to reduce their own exposure.”

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(Source: The Defender – May 1, 2026)