Evaluating Carcinogenic and Endocrine Disrupting Potential in Women’s Hygiene and Cosmetic Formulations

Millions of women around the world rely on cosmetics and hygiene products every day, however, they often have no idea about the exposure to dangerous chemicals in their everyday usage. Chemicals present in many of these products, such as parabens, phthalates and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are known to act as endocrine disruptors which could potentially affect the body's hormonal systems. In addition to acting as endocrine disruptors, some of these chemicals have been shown to cause cancer when used in certain applications, such as formaldehyde releasing preservatives and asbestos contaminated talc. As a result of using these products, it is essential to understand the biochemical characteristics of the chemicals so we can begin to understand how they can affect our bodies. This study uses the bioinformatics software program SwissADME to identify key properties related to the absorption of three representative chemicals from three classes of chemicals, including DEP (diethyl phthalate), butylparaben, PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), based on publicly available molecular information. Using this molecular data, SwissADME was able to predict several key biochemical characteristics of the studied chemicals including lipophilicity, skin permeability, gastrointestinal absorption and other ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion)-related parameters. Based on the predictions of SwissADME, this study provides an estimate of the ability of each chemical to penetrate biological barriers, reach the bloodstream and interact with target tissues involved in the mechanism of endocrine disruption and carcinogenesis.SwissADME predictions indicate that both phthalates and parabens have molecular properties that would allow them to easily pass through the skin, thereby supporting previous epidemiological studies indicating that users of cosmetic and hygiene products have measurable levels of internal exposure. Although PFAS were predicted to have lower skin permeability, previous studies have shown that PFAS bind to proteins and remain in the body for long periods of time, allowing them to accumulate in the body over time. Due to its size and high reactivity, formaldehyde has the highest predicted capacity to rapidly interact with tissues. Since talc had low predicted permeability, the health risk associated with talc is most likely due to the presence of asbestos contamination and not to the chemical composition of the talc itself. Overall, the results of the SwissADME study provide a link between molecular properties and the observed exposure patterns of humans and support toxicological and epidemiological evidence, and therefore emphasize the need to conduct further research on the mixture-based toxicity of these chemicals, require companies to disclose all of the ingredients used in their products, and modify existing regulations regarding chemical safety in order to better regulate and control the risks posed by these chemicals in the cosmetic and hygiene products marketed to women.