Chemicals in Personal Care Products Can Cause Health Problems
Bouve/CEE Assistant Professor Julia Varshavsky’s research from a study she led in Puerto Rico in affiliation with the PROTECT Center was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. It shows chemicals like phenols and parabens in products such as sunscreen and makeup can cause hypertension in pregnant women and could result in long-term health problems for both the woman and fetus.
This article originally appeared on Northeastern Global News. It was published by Erin Kayata. Main photo: Phenols and parabens, chemicals commonly found in products like sunscreen, were found to increase the risk of hypertension in pregnant people. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Chemicals found in sunscreen and makeup can lead to hypertension during pregnancy, new study finds
Chemicals found in certain personal care products—including sunscreen and makeup—may cause hypertension during pregnancy and affect the long-term health of both the pregnant parent and the fetus, according to a study led by a Northeastern professor.
The study found that phenols and parabens, chemicals that are widely used as UV filters in sunscreen and to prevent bacteria and mold growth in cosmetics, may increase the risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy. Researchers looked at the associations between individual phenols and parabens, as well as what happens when they’re combined, targeting products pregnant people are likely to use often.
“A lot of studies only look at one chemical exposure at a time,” said Julia Varshavsky, assistant professor of environmental health at Northeastern University and lead scientist on the study. “But we’re actually exposed to many different chemicals at one time, so we really want to look at the mixture effect like what’s the cumulative effect of all of those exposures at once.”
Previous studies in this field looked more at the impact these exposures had on the fetus and childhood development, Varshavsky said. But this study focused on the pregnant person and the effects exposures can have on them both during the pregnancy and in the longer term.
“There’s been a more recent shift to actually think about how those exposures actually impact the pregnant individuals’ health after pregnancy,” Varshavsky said. “We’re learning more and more that the mom’s cardiovascular health during pregnancy actually has a lot of lifelong health consequences for that person down the road.”
If a person develops hypertension during pregnancy, it can put them at risk for other pregnancy complications, including early labor, preeclampsia and diabetes.
“People who develop hypertension for the first time during pregnancy then are at increased risk of developing hypertension after pregnancy,” Varshavsky added. “Hypertension is dangerous in terms of cardiovascular health and increasing risk of heart disease and complications related to the heart. It also increases your risk of obesity and diabetes later.”
The study specifically looked at pregnant women in Puerto Rico living in a region with a high amount of environmental toxins. Varshavsky said Puerto Rico has one of the highest proportions of Superfund sites—locations with hazardous chemical exposures—in the United States. The participants are part of the PROTECT cohort, part of the PROTECT Center which studies exposure to environmental contamination in Puerto Rico and how it contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes. The center has been following these women since 2010.
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