The term “endocrine disruptors” has been garnering a lot of attention more recently. But what are these? According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, EDCs are defined as “natural or human-made chemicals that may mimic, block, or interfere with the body’s hormones, which are part of the endocrine system (1).”
But let’s back up a little. Within our system, hormones are roaming every day to provide balance and necessary changes within our bodies. We have receptors for these hormones in every organ, and when our hormones connect with these receptors, a proper cellular response can begin. However, when we have these hormone “mimickers” traveling throughout our body, they can do several unwanted things:
Act as a hormone, so when connecting with a receptor, trigger a cellular response that the body did not need
Block our natural hormones, so when connecting with a receptor, halt a cellular response that was needed
Change the production of natural hormones, because the body sees these mimickers as the real thing, and therefore feels it does not need to create what is naturally ours (2)
As a reminder, certain hormones play a role in acne:
Androgens: direct receptor on the sebaceous (acne-developing) unit of the skin. Upregulation of androgens can cause an increase in oil production.
Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1): increases in IGF-1 stimulates adrenal (hormone glands) and gonadal (sex hormone glands) secretion of androgens, as well as also has a direct link to the sebaceous unit of the skin, which increases the sensitivity of the sebaceous unit to those androgens, causing an increase in oil production (3). IGF-1 can also stimulate skin cell production and keratinization (8).
Estrogens: suppress sebaceous gland activity by counteracting the opposing androgens (3)
CRH and Cortisol: stress hormones; CRH stimulates oil production and enhances expression of certain enzymes that activate androgens (3). Both CRH and Cortisol are released during times of stress and many studies have shown the association between stress levels and acne severity, both through oil production means and likely the inflammation that plays a role in acne flares.
Cytokines and inflammation: play a role in both early acne development and late-stage acne lesions (3).
So, for the skin in particular, if EDCs are roaming our system upregulating the acne-causing hormones and downregulating the acne-blocking hormones, we can see an increase in acne due to these unnatural and unasked for chemicals, which are very confusing to our bodies.
Additional hormonal imbalances (among many others) can look like (5):
Fatigue or feeling tired, low energy
Constipation or diarrhea
Heartbeat changes
Dry, rough, thin, warm, or moist skin
Acanthosis Nigricans (darkening of skin around neck, within armpits)
Skin Tags
Hair changes, including dry, brittle hair and hair loss
Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
Intolerance to hot or cold temps
Mood changes, including anxiety and depression
Noticeable changes to the menstrual cycle
Excess body hair
Infertility
Loss of Muscle Mass
There are many routes in which we consume these EDC, including, “ingestion of food, dust, and water, ingestion of breast milk, inhalation of gases and particles in the air, skin contact, intravenous tubing, or biological transfer across the placenta (3). In fact, a small analysis of the umbilical cords of ten babies showed over 200 chemicals found (4).
EDCs are truly, and unfortunately, everywhere. They are in our skin care products, hair care, oral care, laundry care, food, cleaning products, packages, plastics, and so much more. In fact, over 1000 known chemicals fall under the EDC category due to their interference with hormones (2). We cannot avoid them completely. Okay, okay… I’m sounding a bit doomsday here. But not all hope is lost.
There are some EDCs that are more common (2), (3) than others. Finding ways to avoid them, when possible, can help not only your skin, but the rest of your body from general confusion and inflammation.
Atrazine is one of the most common herbicides used worldwide, commonly used to reduce weeds in corn, sugarcane, and sorghum.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to make certain plastics. It is found in many plastic products, such as food storage containers and toys. BPA resins can also be found in the lining of some canned foods and beverages (i.e. plastic water bottles).
Dioxins are a byproduct of certain processes, like herbicide production and paper bleaching. They can be released into the air from waste burning and wildfires. More than 90% of human exposure is estimated by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be through ingestion of animal fats, mainly meat, dairy products, fish, and shellfish (6).
Perchlorate is a colorless salt manufactured and used as an industrial chemical to make rockets, explosives, and fireworks, which can be found in some groundwater.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of chemicals used widely in industrial applications, such as firefighting foam, nonstick pans, paper, and clothing/textile coatings. They are found in hundreds of products including some food packaging, cosmetics, fragrances, children’s toys, and medical device tubing. Cosmetics that may contain phthalates include nail polish, hair spray, aftershave lotion, cleanser, and shampoo.
Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics sturdier. They are in hundreds of products, such as vinyl flooring, lubricating oils, and personal care products like soaps, shampoos, and hair sprays.
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are used to make flame retardants for products such as furniture foam and carpet.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used to make electrical equipment, such as transformers, and are in hydraulic fluids, heat transfer fluids, lubricants, and plasticizers. PCBs were mass-produced globally until they were banned in 1979.
Triclosan is an ingredient found in many personal care products like liquid body wash and hand sanitizers. Triclosan is also a common ingredient in many widely available toothpastes.
So, what can we do? Eating organic (link to organic article) helps to avoid the detrimental herbicides that are used. Also making sure to wash produce thoroughly before consuming. Avoiding plastics when we can, such as plastic food storage containers or plastic water bottles. Try to avoid canned foods and opt for fresh when possible. Actively scan the ingredient lists in cosmetics, including toothpastes, shampoos, conditioners, soaps, etc. https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ can be a helpful resource to find acceptable vs unacceptable options. Purchasing a water filter to remove the EPCs that live in tap water. Reduce use of fragrances in body lotions, laundry detergents, and most candles. And as a general rule of thumb, noted in a lot of what I discuss across this blog, eating whole, natural foods as often as possible (7).
I think the last piece of advice here is to not freak out. There are a lot of things outside of our control. Stress, as a reminder, is a huge source of acne, and body-wide inflammation, too. If you’re trying to rid your life of acne-causing things, whether those are EDCs, pore clogging ingredients, or foods, but it’s causing you more stress to live this perfect lifestyle, you’ll end up counteracting the good you’re trying to do with the stress you’ll feeling because of it. All of these posts are meant to be educational and helpful. It’s always about taking the education you receive today, and slowly introducing it into your lifestyle as it makes the most sense to you.
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