Which Hormone is Keeping you Fat? 

Are Your Toiletries Making You Infertile?

Infertility is becoming a more widespread phenomenon. Part of this is women waiting to try to conceive until later in life when fertility has declined. But unfortunately, your toiletries may be part of the problem.

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Your cosmetics and personal care products may contain several chemicals which have been associated with hormone disruption. This hormone disruption can lead to problems with fertility in both men and women, early menopause, and difficulty with pregnancies.

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Here are some of the issues with toiletries.

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Fragrance

Fragrance is something added to your products to make them smell good, right? Yes and no. Fragrance can sometimes be used by cosmetic companies to put in ingredients that they don’t have to declare on the label. Fragrance often contains phthalates a chemical that helps the fragrance last longer, which can interfere with male and female sex hormones, potentially impacting fertility.

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Lead

Lead can be found in many different cosmetic products, usually in the form of lead acetate. It has been linked to miscarriage and reduced fertility in men and women. Lead occurs naturally in soil and water, so is difficult to be completely eliminated. 

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Sunscreen ingredients

Oxybenzone found in chemical sunscreens has been linked to hormone disruption, potentially causing fertility issues. Unfortunately chemical sunscreens are often added to foundation as well as sunscreen, so look for a foundation without added sunscreen, or make sure it’s a mineral sunscreen.

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Plastic packaging

Many cosmetics and personal care products come in plastic packaging. Many of the ingredients used in plastics are known to be endocrine disruptors. 

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Other ingredients

Other ingredients that may cause lower fertility include:

• triclosan, used for its antibacterial properties

• siloxanes, used in hair and skin conditioners

• parabens, used in many products

• boric acid and sodium borate, found in face creams

• BHA and BHT, a preservative

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What can you do

Read the ingredients for your toiletries carefully. The Environmental Working Group is an excellent resource to determine the safety of just about every ingredient you might find in cosmetics and personal care products. 

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How I can help

I can help balance your hormones with a nutrition plan that will help you lose weight and improve your health while you are trying to conceive. Book a free nutrition assessment to find out more.