Cosmetics & Cancer

Make-up may help you look good, but cosmetic used for it can cause cancer in kids, says a study.

Make up may help you look good, but the cosmetic used for it can cause cancer, especially in children.

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Health experts worldwide have cautioned that excessive usage of cosmetics by children enhances their risk to various types of cancer and to fertility-related problems later in life.

According to the Independent, fertility experts, cancer specialists and environmentalists have expressed alarm over evidence that suggests that most of cosmetic products use potentially dangerous chemicals linked to breast cancer, falling sperm counts and hormonal damage.

The ingredients, which are causing great concern, include chemicals called parabens, which can affect the hormone oestrogen and were recently found in breast cancer tissues.

Other suspect additives are known as phthalates, used to soften plastics and help carry scents in cosmetics. They are linked to lower sperm levels in men, premature breast development and allergies and are banned from being used in baby products.

However, cosmetics giants like Boots and Johnson & Johnson have insisted that all their products are very carefully formulated within strict health guidelines and pose no threat to children.