{"id":161695,"date":"2024-04-04T09:11:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T13:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inrs.ca\/?p=161695"},"modified":"2024-04-04T09:58:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T13:58:39","slug":"the-toxicity-of-beauty-products-under-the-microscope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inrs.ca\/en\/news\/the-toxicity-of-beauty-products-under-the-microscope\/","title":{"rendered":"The Toxicity of Beauty Products Under the Microscope"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Professor Isabelle Plante is conducting a study on the health of beauty care professionals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n \n

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Professor Isabelle Plante toxicology specialist at INRS\u2019s<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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A team from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is leading a study that could help better protect women who handle products with potentially harmful effects on a daily basis. This research, conducted in collaboration with researchers from UQAM and Health Canada, is funded by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauv\u00e9 en sant\u00e9 et en s\u00e9curit\u00e9 du travail (IRSST).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is no longer contested that shampoos, conditioners, dyes, varnishes, and makeup can present health risks for the people who use them. Why? Because these substances contain synthetic molecules that disrupt our endocrine system, and therefore how our hormones work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about the people who handle these types of products on a daily basis as part of their job? Are they more affected by this problem? If so, how can they be better protected?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the questions being investigated by Professor Isabelle Plante<\/a>, a toxicology specialist at INRS\u2019s Armand-Frappier Sant\u00e9 Biotechnologie Research Centre<\/a> who has been studying endocrine disruptors for many years. She is also director and co-founder of the Intersectoral Centre for Endocrine Disruptor Analysis<\/a> (ICEDA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen they enter the body, endocrine disruptors interfere with our hormones in a number of ways, disrupting their communication,\u201d explains Professor Plante. \u201cThis can lead to a range of health problems related to development, fertility, and pregnancy, as well as an increased risk of breast cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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High exposure <\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to endocrine disruptors, the researcher is particularly concerned about women working in the world of beauty care, for two reasons. The first is that they can be exposed to high levels in their profession due to the amount of hair and beauty products they handle. The second is that they are exposed to a wide range of products containing multiple disruptive molecules. When combined, these different molecules could interact with each other and cause other undesirable effects\u2014 like drugs that should not be prescribed simultaneously to a patient, in a way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the risk factors associated with the use of hair and beauty products, other issues can affect the health of women working in this field, such as work precarity, difficult access to preventive maternity leave, and lower incomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe accumulation of these sources of risk could lead to inequalities in occupational health, especially since these positions are often held by women from visible minorities or racialized groups,\u201d explains Professor Plante.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By better understanding these workers\u2019 circumstances, we will be able to tackle inequalities and provide them with better protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe results of our research will enable us to raise awareness among personal care workers of the potential hazards associated with the cosmetics they use in their work environment. In fact, it was the possibility of making direct links between our laboratory analyses and the health of workers that prompted me to make this research project my Master’s subject\u201d, <\/p>\nMarie-Caroline Daguste<\/strong>, a Master’s student in Professor Plante’s laboratory.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Making your voice heard<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Participant involvement is essential to achieving the objectives of the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Study objectives:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n