297-SYNCPodcast_TeenEndocrine

[00:00:00]

[00:00:00]

[00:00:57] Welcome friends to this episode of the Sync Your Life podcast. Today we are diving into a highly requested topic, which is educating our teenage daughters on endocrine disruption and what it means for their health. As the mom of two daughters myself, at this point, they’re only aged four and eight. I can tell you that they have already begun to throw out brand names of skincare that they hear about from their friends, friends at school or pop culture.

[00:01:20] And they often ask for things like scented body lotions or perfumes when we’re out at places like Target. So if they’re already asking and they’re already familiar with Sephora, I can only imagine what 13 year olds and 16 year olds are doing. Actually, just this weekend, my oldest and I were shopping at Old Navy when a couple of teenage sisters came in to find their friend.

[00:01:39] Both of them were carrying Bath Body Works and Sephora bags. They immediately opened the bottles for their friend to smell, lathered the lotion on their hands, and they went about their shopping. Of course, my 8 year old saw it all unfold, and later, she asked to go to Bath Body Works. So how do we go about educating our daughters on the health ramifications of these popular trends?

[00:01:58] Well, I’ll do my best in this solar round, so feel free to share this with your son or daughter or share it out on social media because my friends, the science here is just too scary to let this continue. Let’s start by talking about what EDCs are. EDC stands for endocrine disrupting chemical, and unfortunately they’re in many products that we use day to day.

[00:02:18] From the plastic bottles that we drink from, to the fabric of our curtains and furniture, to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the products that we’re using in, on, and around our bodies. Skincare, cosmetics, lotions, fragrances, these are all comprised of EDCs. The issue is that these EDCs have known ramifications on our health, and while they may help you smell better or look more beautiful, odds are you could pay for it down the road.

[00:02:43] EDCs are chemicals or mixtures of chemicals that interfere with the way the body’s hormones work. Some EDCs act like hormones, and they mimic and trick our body into thinking that they’re hormones, while other EDCs block natural hormones from doing their job. Other EDCs can increase or decrease the levels of hormones in our blood by affecting how they’re made, broken down, or stored in our body.

[00:03:06] And finally, other EDCs can change how sensitive our bodies are to different hormones. EDCs can disrupt many different hormones, which is why they’ve been linked to numerous adverse human health outcomes, including alterations in sperm quality and fertility, abnormalities in sex organs, endometriosis, early puberty, altered nervous system function, immune function, certain cancers, respiratory problems, metabolic issues, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular problems, growth, neurological and learning disabilities, and more.

[00:03:37] The most common EDCs that teens are exposed to are fragrances, Cue the Bath and Body Works, the perfumes and colognes, the Axe body spray. These are some of the worst, most dangerous chemicals that we can come in contact with. In fact, the average age of onset of menses in young girls is now age 11, with some girls starting their periods as early as age 9, largely due to chemical fragrances.

[00:04:00] In a recent research study, one of the compounds the study identified was musk ambrette, a fragrance ingredient used in cheap and counterfeit perfumes. It’s also used in air fresheners and personal care products. And it’s been identified as potentially leading to premature puberty. When tested on animal cells, Musk and Brett triggered the release of one of the hormones that sparks puberty and leads to the production of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone.

[00:04:25] In fact, Europe and Canada have banned this fragrance, but the U. S. has not. So why does this all matter? Well, early puberty is associated with a higher risk of long term health problems, such as decreased fertility, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer. Also worthy of note are plastics in our environment.

[00:04:45] I’ve shared here recently, and I will do it again, that the number one allergen in my environment today in central Indiana, according to my PollenWise app, is not ragweed or mold, but rather plastic particles. Plastic particles. It’s all around us. In a recent research study, 40 semen samples were collected from 40 different men, and in all 40 samples, high levels of BPA plastics were found.

[00:05:09] And not a single man tested worked in an industrial environment. The water we are drinking flows through BPA piping, my friends. It’s in all of us. So you can see why it’s a challenge to help our teens understand that what they’re using, oftentimes on their skin, is a large culprit to later health ramifications.

[00:05:27] The average woman applies 168 chemicals to her body per day, but the average teenage girl applies over 200. 200 chemicals applied to her skin daily. If we can lessen our toxic load by improving the products that go on, in, and around our skin, we could make a considerable difference. By the way, in another recent study, women with breast cancer replaced their skincare products for 30 days.

[00:05:52] And by the end of the 30 days, they were able to switch off the breast cancer gene thanks to this simple change alone. Once we know better, we can do better. And when it comes to EDCs, this isn’t just something that you learn about and then you go on to ignore. We can make simple swaps in our skincare to lessen our toxic burden and help our health in the long run.

[00:06:12] I’ll be sure to link up my favorite skincare that yes, I even allow my young daughters to use. They sit on their vanity and they’re welcome to try them and do little skincare routines all they want. When you know that it’s safe and non endocrine disrupting, it offers such peace of mind. But here’s the thing I want you to know, my friends.

[00:06:29] There is something out there called greenwashing. And it’s when companies label something clean or non toxic, but it’s simply false marketing. This is a cruel world, if I’m being honest, much like our lack of regulation on foods in our country. But there are so many companies out there claiming clean and non toxic that are far from it.

[00:06:46] Also, did you know that the EWG, which is the Environmental Working Group, That verification called EWG verified is also something that can be paid for. Yep. It’s a pay to play world out there when it comes to this stuff, which is so scary. I have done my research on what products I trust. Again, I’ll link them up for you in the show notes, but for me, third party testing makes all the difference.

[00:07:08] What I want my girls to know that will maybe translate for your own daughters is this. Yes. Drunk elephant or glow recipe may be trending on Tik TOK or in your circle of friends. But breast cancer and infertility are trending in my circle of friends, and it’s not cool. When it comes to our health, we have to do the things today that will make an impact on us tomorrow, even when it may not make sense.

[00:07:30] That goes for exercise, food choices, and yes, even the products that go on in and around our bodies. I hope this is helpful, my friends. Our young daughters need to know that it may be fun now to take that Sephora girls trip, but it’s not worth it for potential infertility or hormone imbalances later.

[00:07:47] There are better swaps out there that your body will thank you for. Thank you so much for tuning in, my friends. Until next time, I hope this helps.