Constellation, le dépôt institutionnel de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Résumé

The body is regulated by the endocrine system; thus it is important that it is functional. However, we encounter more and more endocrine disruptors in our lives. As cosmetics represent daily exposure to many chemicals, concerns raise about the eventual presence of endocrine disruptors in cosmetics. Endocrine disrupting abilities of chemicals were widely investigated, as they can be found in food, materials, and environment. Considering the amount of data, one might find clear information with difficulty. The purpose of this review is to establish the state-of-the-art of endocrine disrupting properties of cosmetic ingredients. The method used was to read several articles related to skin penetration, nuclear receptor binding, epigenetic effects, adverse effects, and diseases. The toxic doses were not always found. The overall data was confronted to draw definite conclusion on the endocrine disruptor nature of each compound. If not enough information was found to bring out a sturdy conclusion, leads for further research were given. An overview of novel methods used to assess endocrine disruptors’ effects was also done. The major studied compounds were not clearly identified as endocrine disruptors when applied topically because of the skin barrier. Synergism and inhibition effects between several endocrine disruptors must be a subject of further investigation because it represents the reality of cosmetic formulations. Epidemiological studies should also be conducted to better assess risks of the ingredients. Overall, cosmetic ingredients applied via cosmetics do not have endocrine disrupting effects.