Top breast cancer charity reveals full list of toxic chemicals in shampoos and face creams that carry tumour risk

Women should avoid toxic toiletries that could increase their chances of developing breast cancer, a charity says. 

Breast Cancer UK said millions of women are unaware products like shampoos and face creams carry what are known as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

These are substances which can interfere with the human hormone system and have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

The charity estimates that the average British woman is exposed to over 150 potentially harmful chemicals as part of their daily beauty regime. 

With breast cancer deaths in the UK set to soar by more than 40 per cent by 2050, the charity is urging women to rid their daily routines of these harmful chemicals.

Currently around 32 women die every day in the UK from breast cancer, with around 11,500 deaths a year. 

Now, Breast Cancer UK is looking at environmental stressors as a key risk factor for the deadly disease, as numbers sky rocket in under-50-year-olds. 

As part of their Ditch The Junk Campaign, the charity explained: ‘In our relentless pursuit of beauty, more and more synthetic chemicals have now been linked to adverse health effects including breast cancer’. 

Dr Hannah Moody, director of research, said: ‘While scientific evidence is mounting, the extent of the threat posed by chemical cocktails is still being uncovered.’ 

The charity have now released a list of some of the most hazardous chemicals, and which products to find them in, in a bid to help women protect themselves against the common disease. 

Make-up and nail varnish are believed to contain the highest amount of EDCs which mimic the female hormone oestrogen and disrupt the normal balance of hormones in the body. 

According to Breast Cancer UK, these products are likely to contain at least two of the top three chemicals to watch out for: parabens, phthalates and synthetic parfums.

Phthalates, which are commonly found in nail varnish, shampoos and hairsprays, are chemicals that are typically used to strengthen plastics.

However, when used in cosmetic products, the chemicals can seep through the skin, disrupting the body’s natural production of, and response to, natural hormones like oestrogen and testosterone, increasing the risk of breast cancer.

According to the charity, these toxins are often listed as parfum or fragrance in ingredients lists as they are often used to help scents last longer.

Another category to be wary of are creams and moisturisers, that are likely to contain a high number of parabens. 

Parabens— which include substances like methylparaben, propylparaben and ethylparaben—can penetrate the skin and trigger the production of oestrogen, which has been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer. 

Whilst many parabens have been clinically shown to interfere with the hormonal system and therefore have been banned, many endocrine disruptors can still be found in everyday beauty products, the charity says.

Finally, the charity urged women to avoid synthetic fragrances.

It said these are likely to  contain high levels of musk ketone, benzyl salicylate and diethyl phthalate—all of which have adverse effects on the female reproductive system, increasing the risk of breast cancer. 

In order to minimise the risk of exposure to these harmful chemicals, Breast Cancer UK advises women to keep their beauty routines as simple as possible, using fewer un-fragranced products. 

Head of the charity, Gareth Lloyd-Johnson, added that women shouldn’t only consider the risk of using such products in isolation but how many they might be exposed to per day.

He said this was an area companies and policy makers needed to consider.  

‘Regulations must be re-evaluated to better reflect our real-life exposure—no product can be viewed inside a vacuum.’ 

According to a YouGov survey commissioned by Breast Cancer UK, over one in four British women use at least six products as part of their daily beauty regime

This equates to an estimated average of at least 168 different chemicals per day, the charity says.  

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in the UK each year, accounting for a sixth of all cases.

Survival rates for breast cancer vary depending on what stage it is diagnosed but, overall, three out of four women are alive a decade after their diagnosis.

Breast cancer survival rates has doubled in the last 50 years in part thanks to regular screening and increased awareness of symptoms.

Women are encouraged to check their breasts regularly for potential signs of the cancer.

These include a lump, or swelling in the breast, chest or armpit, a change in the skin of the breast or general change in its size and shape.

Nipple discharge with blood, a change in the shape or look of the nipple and continuous pain in the breast or armpit are also signs of the disease.

While these are not always signs of cancer, anyone with these symptoms is advised to book an appointment with their GP so they can be checked.