Exposure Matters Most Now

Exposure to Chemicals of Concern matters most up through your first full term pregnancy. Making small changes in your everyday products now can go a long way for your health in the long term! We want you to feel empowered to prevent breast cancer next time you go shopping. Scroll to learn more!

Shampoo

Reducing paraben and phthalate exposure in your shampoo has been proven to reduce the expression of cancerous genes! Next time you’re buying shampoo, look out for methyl-parabens or other -parabens and MEP, MnBP or other -phthalates on the label.
  1. Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs). 2022 Jan 24 [accessed 2023 Apr 6]. https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/edcs
  2. Dairkee, S. H, et al. (2023, February 4). Reduction of daily-use parabens and phthalates reverses accumulation of cancer-associated phenotypes within disease-free breast tissue of study subjects. Chemosphere. Retrieved April 7, 2023, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36746253/
  3. Pagoni A, Arvaniti OS, Kalantzi O-I. Exposure to phthalates from personal care products: Urinary levels and predictors of exposure. Environmental Research. 2022;212(Pt A):113194. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.113194
  4. Virant-Klun I, Imamovic-Kumalic S, Pinter B. From Oxidative Stress to Male Infertility: Review of the Associations of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (Bisphenols, Phthalates, and Parabens) with Human Semen Quality. Antioxidants. 2022;11(8):1617. doi:10.3390/antiox11081617

Mascara

Next time you’re buying mascara, look out for carbon black, D & C Black No. 2, Acetylene black, Channel black, Furnace black, Lamp black, and Thermal black on the label.
  1. Carbon Black. Safe Cosmetics. [accessed 2023 Apr 11]. https://www.safecosmetics.org/chemicals/carbon-black/

Apples

Next time you’re buying produce, look for the number 9 as the first number on the sticker- it’s code for organic!
  1. What’s On My Food :: Pesticides on Apples. [accessed 2023 Apr 11]. https://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=AP

Soda

Sodas containing caramel-coloring may contain 4-methylimidazole – a carcinogen. Next time you’re buying soda, choose a safer alternative.
  1. Behl M, Willson CJ, Cunny H, Foster PMD, McIntyre B, Shackelford C, Shockley KR, McBride S, Turner K, Waidyanatha S, et al. Multigenerational reproductive assessment of 4-methylimidazole administered in the diet to Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD rats. Reproductive Toxicology. 2020;98:13–28. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.03.005
  2. Smith TJS, Wolfson JA, Jiao D, Crupain MJ, Rangan U, Sapkota A, Bleich SN, Nachman KE. Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(2):e0118138. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0118138

Plastic Lid

Heat is a factor that causes chemicals in plastic to leach, so next time you’re sipping hot coffee with a #6 recycling code- remove the lid!
  1. Hananeh WM, Al Rukibat R, Jaradat S, Borhan Al-Zghoul M. Exposure assessment of bisphenol A by drinking coffee from plastic cups. Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Higieny. 2021;72(1):49–53. doi:10.32394/rpzh.2021.0146
  2. Persson L, Carney Almroth BM, Collins CD, Cornell S, De Wit CA, Diamond ML, Fantke P, Hassellöv M, MacLeod M, Ryberg MW, et al. Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities. Environmental Science & Technology. 2022;56(3):1510–1521. doi:10.1021/acs.est.1c04158
  3. Update on the Health Effects of Bisphenol A: Overwhelming Evidence of Harm | Endocrinology | Oxford Academic. [accessed 2023 Apr 24]. https://academic.oup.com/endo/article/162/3/bqaa171/5910267

Sunscreen

Trying to prevent skin cancer by wearing daily sunscreen? Cover all your bases and avoid other cancers by choosing one without oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate!
  1. Matouskova K, Bugos J, Schneider SS, Vandenberg LN. Exposure to Low Doses of Oxybenzone During Perinatal Development Alters Mammary Gland Stroma in Female Mice. Frontiers in Toxicology. 2022 [accessed 2023 Apr 24];4.

Ice Cream

Have you asked your local cow what’s in their diet? If they’re eating artificial growth hormones, you might be too. Choose ice cream made with organic dairy to avoid rBST and rBGH in your cone… organic cows are happy cows!
  1. Venkatraman, Senthil, et al. Adverse Effects on Consumer’s Health Caused by Hormones Administered in … Feb. 2018, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339442430_Adverse_effects_on_consumer’s_health_caused_by_hormones_administered_in_cattle

Detergent

“Fragrance” is a blanket term for phthalates, a class of endocrine disrupting chemicals… so don’t wash your blanket with it! Consider a fragrance-free safer alternative, or when searching for scents, look to organic essential oils.
  1. Lee I, Ji K. Identification of combinations of endocrine disrupting chemicals in household chemical products that require mixture toxicity testing. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 2022;240:113677. doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113677
  2. Rádis-Baptista G. Do Synthetic Fragrances in Personal Care and Household Products Impact Indoor Air Quality and Pose Health Risks? Journal of Xenobiotics. 2023;13(1):121–131. doi:10.3390/jox13010010