Fragrances Are Effing with Your Hormones!

Many of you have probably heard me talk about oestrogen-mimicking chemicals or substances that interfere with thyroid function. These are called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and they pose a hidden threat to your hormone balance and the glands that produce them—that being your entire endocrine system.

Whether you're managing PCOS, facing sub-fertility, struggling with Hashimoto's, or dealing with postpartum thyroiditis—and especially if you’re pregnant—it's crucial to be aware of these chemicals. Even if you're not experiencing any specific issues, reducing EDC exposure will benefit your overall well-being, support healthy aging, and improve your family’s health.

EDCs are sneaky. They quietly build up in our bodies, affecting fertility, how we age, and how well our hormones function. The next time you’re about to buy a body spray, cleaning product, or laundry detergent—or even when prepping food—pause for a moment and consider whether the chemicals they contain could make their way into your body, or even cross your placenta!

Here are some common EDC offenders:

• Plastic – Especially when exposed to sunlight, microwaves, or boiling water.

• Treated water – Particularly water containing chlorine or fluoride.

• Pesticides – Lingering on the surface of fruits and vegetables.

• Personal care products – Makeup, perfumes, lotions, and bathroom essentials.

• Household and hygiene products – From laundry detergents, dishwashing liquid to air fresheners.

The Good News? You don’t need to overhaul everything at once! Start small. Each time you’re about to buy a new product—whether it’s a cleaning item, beauty product, or even a food container—consider choosing a low-tox alternative. Maybe swap out your deodorant this time or replace plastic food containers with glass.

Over time, these small changes add up, creating a healthier, more hormone-friendly environment for you and your family.

What Exactly Are Endocrine Disruptors? 

An endocrine disruptor is defined as “an exogenous agent that interferes with the synthesis, secretion, transport, metabolism, binding, action, or elimination of natural blood-borne hormones responsible for homeostasis, reproduction, and development.”

When we talk about chemicals like xenoestrogens, they have a structure similar to naturally occurring oestrogen in the body, and they can:

• Over-activate oestrogen receptors, driving oestrogen-dominant symptoms.

• Block natural oestrogen from exerting its healthy effects on menstrual and fertility activity.

Similarly, there are chemicals that impact thyroid hormones T3 and T4, competing with them and limiting their positive effects. This can lead to increased levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and contribute to hypothyroidism by slowing down thyroid function. Fluoride, chlorine, and bromide can inhibit iodine uptake by the thyroid gland, which disrupts thyroid hormone production. Studies have explored the effects on a plethora of synthetic chemicals on animal and human health listing hormone imbalance and infertility, chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, genome damage and cancer as health risks related to exposure!

1. Plastics

2. Water

3. Pesticides

4. Cleaning the Home

5. Beauty

Reducing Plastic Exposure

Plastic resins and manufacturing protocols collectively use many monomers and additives that may exhibit oestrogenic activity because their properties allow them to bind to oestrogen receptors in the body. Things like ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight, microwave radiation, and/or moist heat - boiling or dishwashing can cause leaching of monomers and additives from a plastic item into its contents. Bisphenol A (BPA), a well-known EDC commonly seen on labels, is associated with reduced egg quality and fertility issues in humans. While BPA has been banned in children's products like baby bottles, it's still widely used in water bottles, plastic containers, and the linings of canned foods. BPA can leach into food, especially when containers are heated, exposed to sunlight, or come in contact with acidic foods like tomatoes. One study reported;

most of the > 500 commercially available plastic products that we sampled—even those that are presumably BPA free—release chemicals having detectable oestrogenic activity

It’s unrealistic to avoid plastics completely, but consider these tips:

• begin collecting glass tupperware - find it on sale, find it second hand, or go all out and get yourself a full set! Don't forget - empty jam and passata jars can also be reused for storing food and pantry staples. If you happen to store food in plastic, a simple step to add is dish it on a ceramic plate before warming

• pantry staples - sauces, jams, olive, tomatoes - buy in glass or make your own and store in glass.

• drinking habits - ceramic and glass keep cups for hot drinks, a reusable water bottle and stainless steel/food grade silicon items

• off gassing - you know that new car smell people seem to be so fond off... all that new plastic and synthetic material releasing fumes called volitile organic compounds for you to breathe in. No thanks! With new plastic based and synthetic products give them some time to air out, in the yard, the garage or whenever you can (think -kids toy's).

• Buy second hand: less plastic packaging and longer lifespan of off gassing before it enters your home - I love getting second hand items for the kids for this reason, and rugs, carpets and furnitures are hortible offenders.

• grocery shopping: stop using single use plastic produce brands

What's in Your Water?

While disinfectants like chlorine help reduce waterborne diseases, they come with risks. Disinfection by-products can affect fertility and may impact ovarian function and sperm health. Fluoride, chlorine, and bromide can also disrupt thyroid function, making water quality a concern, especially for those with thyroid issues.

• Look into water filters that assure effective filtration.

• Consider glass-bottled spring water, which avoids plastic exposure.

• Bulk cask water can also be a more eco-friendly option.

Pesticides and Food

While pesticides protect crops and humans from disease, they’ve also been linked to a range of health issues, including endocrine dysfunction, infertility, and chronic diseases.

The numerous negative health effects that have been associated with chemical pesticides include, among other effects, dermatological, gastrointestinal, neurological, carcinogenic, respiratory, reproductive, and endocrine effects

Organochlorine pesticides have been linked to endocrine dysfunction, effects on embryonic development and changes in lipid profiles, liver health and our blood.

Organophosphate pesticides include a variety of chemicals which can be endocrine disruptors, affecting glucose, protein and fat metabolism. They can increase oxidation of cells linking them to cardiovascular disease, male infertility, alzheimers, implications in foetal development and cancers

Simple Solutions:

Washing produce with a baking soda solution (1 tsp per 500 ml of water) can reduce up to 98% of pesticides.

• buy organic and local - local produce may have less pesticides that have penetrated beyond the skin due to their shorter time between farm and purchasing. Still wash!

• grow your own! - have 100% certainty that your food is completely organic, and there is no better feeling than cultivating and consuming your own produce!

• learn the dirty dozen - going fully organic can be expensive - look up which foods can be the worse culprits of carrying pesticides and go organic or wash them at least - Find the Dirty Dozen Here

• organic and loose leaf tea - don't forget the plant based items not found in the produce section, dried fruit, nuts and seeds.

• organic soy products - as soy is a natural phytoestrogen (plant based oestrogen mimicking molecule), avoid the double up effects of phytoestrogens and xenoestrogens.

Cleaning the Home

Our home is a place we spend the majority of our life. Although a safe haven, it can have numerous hidden nasties floating in our air and resting on our fabrics. 

Products including air fresheners, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, disinfectants, dish detergents, and all-purpose cleaners can leach or off-gas chemicals into indoor air and settled dust. Phthalates, phenols, terpenoids, flame retardants (furniture, appliances, toys) per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances and volatile organic compounds like benzene and formaldehyde are the most notable offenders, contributing to negative endocrine, respiratory and neurological influences in adults and children.

Infants and young children often have the highest exposures to air and dust pollution because of their hand to mouth behaviour and increased breathing rate, they may also become vulnerable to asthma in future years.

Just fragrances alone can have the highest concentrations of chemicals - where are yours? Toilet/bathroom? Car? Living spaces? 

And just to keep you on your toes, avoid questionable products being marketed as "green", "environmentally safe" and environmentally friendly" with no additional information to back this claim.

a single “fragrance" in a product can contain a mixture of hundreds of chemicals

Here are a few ideas to cut down on indoor toxins:

• Indoor plants - studies have proven the purifying effects of indoor plants such as the Peace Lily and Snake Plant

• Open windows - no scent is the best scent. Allow fresh air to flow through the home when possible, even on some winter days when stuffy/heated air is at its worst! (not as effective if you live next to a busy main road as air pollution is heavy with EDC’s)

• Washing/drying fabrics - fabric dyes are also culprits. Wash new clothing and bedding before using.

• Low-tox cleaning products - brands like Adobe, Eco Store & That Red House

• Essential oils - Antimicrobial, scented and uplifting. Find some DIY home cleaners to incorporate them into your life or create a mist to replace air fresheners.

• Invest in a diffuser - use essential oils to scent the home

• Elbow grease - the more chemicals usually mean less physical effort. Get back into scrubbing to reduce your toxic load

• Candles and fragrances- hand-made candles made with essential oils and non-toxic wax. DIY scented room mist or low-tox alternatives

• Second hand rugs and furniture/Off gassing anything new

Personal Care Products and EDC's

Many of the personal care products we use daily – like deodorants, shampoos, and fragrances – contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that can be absorbed through our skin and affect our hormone systems. For women, this exposure is even more pronounced with additional beauty and hygiene products such as self-tanners, makeup, and feminine care products like tampons or pads.

Products like deodorants may contain ingredients like aluminium, which act as xenoestrogens and could contribute to oestrogenic activity in breast tissue. Sunscreens can either absorb UV rays or reflect them, and UV-absorbing sunscreens may interfere with our hormones.

It’s crucial to read product labels and make more informed choices. Opt for natural, fragrance-free, or organic alternatives when possible, and consider simple, DIY skincare like honey, oats, or avocado.

Additionally, menstrual cups and organic cotton tampons are safer choices for feminine care.

Your skin is your largest organ, and since it absorbs what you put on it, mindful choices can protect you from harmful chemicals.

There's so much more on this topic I have written about - for a deeper dive into EDCs in personal care and their effects on hormones join my newsletter and look out for next weeks email!