There are potentially harmful ingredients in the cosmetics we use daily to help enhance our appearance. Despite the possible dangers, these products are heavily marketed and hailed as being the answer to our desire to look and feel beautiful. But for women in perimenopause and menopause, the stakes may be even higher, because many of the chemicals hiding in everyday makeup have been shown to interfere with hormonal signaling in the body.
Women spend a significant amount of time applying makeup that may contain dozens of chemicals and other ingredients known to harm the body. These substances are absorbed by the skin and membranes. Research suggests we can absorb up to 60% of what we put on our body, depending on the specific chemical and where it is applied, and have the potential to cause notable short-term and long-term harm. When your body is already working to adapt to shifting estrogen and progesterone levels, adding a daily dose of potentially hormone-disrupting chemicals into the mix is worth paying close attention to.
Why This Matters More During Perimenopause and Menopause
The story of potentially harmful makeup revolves around industry and government regulations, or one could say, the lack of such regulations. Consumers are buying and applying skin toner, facial creams, blush, exfoliating agents, and other cosmetics that do not have ingredients listed on the label, and for women navigating perimenopause, this is particularly worth examining. Some of these hidden chemicals are endocrine disruptors, meaning they have been shown in research to interfere with hormonal signaling in the body. At a time when your hormones are already shifting, some researchers and clinicians suggest that reducing exposure to these substances may help avoid adding unnecessary burden to an already taxed system, though more research specific to menopause symptom severity is still needed.
Some of these concerning ingredients hide under the term “fragrance.” Manufacturers currently do not have to reveal what constitutes a fragrance, and there are a lot of possibilities. The International Fragrance Association lists 3,059 substances used in fragrance compounds, some petroleum or alcohol-based, others derived from natural items. Of those 3,000-plus ingredient possibilities, some have been linked in studies to cancer, reproductive issues, hormonal imbalances, developmental toxicity, allergies, and sensitivities.
In addition to the ambiguous ingredient “fragrance,” makeup typically contains a range of chemicals with names challenging to pronounce, and in many cases these chemicals have not undergone adequate testing for their impact on human health.
The Ingredients to Watch Out For
What are some of these potentially harmful makeup ingredients, and why may they be relevant to women in perimenopause and menopause?
Benzophenones. You can find benzophenones in nail polish, lip balm, foundations, moisturizers, and some personal care products. When shopping, look for the words benzophenone, BP2 (or other numbers), oxybenzone, sulisozone, and sulisobenzone sodium on the label. Animal studies have associated benzophenones with cancer, organ system toxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, and endocrine disruption. Research has shown that oxybenzone can enter the bloodstream and accumulate in the kidneys, liver, and blood, and some studies have identified it as a potential estrogen disruptor, a finding that may be of particular interest to women whose estrogen levels are already in transition.
Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene. BHA and BHT are preservatives found in lipstick, eye shadow, and other cosmetics. Animal studies have linked both to endocrine disruption, organ system toxicity, and cancer. The National Toxicology Program lists BHA as anticipated to be a human carcinogen, and California’s Proposition 65 identifies it as a possible human carcinogen. Because endocrine disruption can affect hormonal signaling more broadly, women in perimenopause may want to limit unnecessary exposure to these ingredients.
Ethanolamines. Found in eyeliners, mascara, eye shadow, blush, foundations, fragrances, and makeup bases, ethanolamines include triethanolamine (TEA) and diethanolamine (DEA). When used together in the same product, they can form nitrosamines, which are classified as possible carcinogens. DEA may also react with other ingredients to form nitrosodiethanolamine, a known carcinogen that research has shown is absorbed through the skin and can accumulate in the kidney and liver.
Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are used to prevent microbial growth in water-based products and have been shown to be absorbed through the skin. Formaldehyde is classified as a known human carcinogen by both the United States National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It is found in nail polish, color cosmetics, eyelash glue, and various personal care items. Women in menopause who are focused on long-term health and disease prevention may want to prioritize eliminating this one.
Heavy metals. Aluminum, arsenic, chromium, iron, lead, and mercury have been detected in foundations, eye shadows, blush, concealer, lipstick, and nail polish, with some added intentionally as colorants and others present as contaminants. Lead is of particular note for women in midlife as research has linked lead exposure to hormonal changes and menstrual irregularities, and some studies have found an association between lead and earlier onset of menopause. Mercury, sometimes listed as thimerosal, has been associated with toxicity of the nervous, reproductive, and immune systems. Though the United States passed the Minamata Convention to curb mercury emissions from certain sources, it does not restrict the metal’s use in mascara.
Homosalate. This chemical is found in SPF-containing cosmetics including foundations, anti-aging creams, moisturizers, and lip balm, products many women in midlife use daily. Studies have identified homosalate as a potential hormone disruptor, with some research suggesting it may weakly mimic or interfere with estrogen activity. Research has also shown it may increase the skin’s absorption of certain pesticides. Given that estrogen is the primary hormone declining during perimenopause, this is an ingredient worth watching.
Acrylates. Found mainly in artificial nail products and eyelash adhesives, acrylates have been associated with adverse eye, skin, and throat reactions in research. The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Environmental Protection Agency classify ethyl acrylate as a possible human carcinogen.
How to Choose Safer Options
The good news is that you have more control here than you might think.
Read ingredient labels. Look specifically for the ingredients listed above, and where possible choose products with certified organic or all-natural ingredients.
Avoid fragrances. Any makeup that lists “fragrance” or “parfum” on the label is worth approaching with caution, as these terms can represent a wide range of undisclosed chemicals, some of which have been linked to hormonal disruption.
Reassess your routine with fresh eyes. Perimenopause and menopause is a natural moment to re-evaluate what you put on your skin. You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. Start by swapping out the products you use most frequently for non-toxic alternatives and work through the rest gradually.
Question “natural” and “organic” claims. Because the cosmetic industry is largely unregulated, these words on a label mean very little without independent certification to back them up. Heavy metals, for example, are naturally occurring, yet they are not safe.
Do your own research. Apps and websites like Skin Deep from the Environmental Working Group and ThinkDirty allow you to check the safety profile of specific products quickly and easily. You can also look for the MADE SAFE® seal on cosmetics, which certifies that products contain ingredients not known or suspected of harming human health.
The Bottom Line
Makeup can help us feel better about ourselves, physically and emotionally, however we do not want it inflicting any type of harm. But many of the cosmetics on the market today contain ingredients that research has linked to hormonal disruption, carcinogenicity, and organ toxicity, concerns that are especially relevant for women in perimenopause and menopause who are already navigating significant hormonal change.
You cannot control every aspect of this transition, but you can control what you put on your body. Taking a few extra moments to read labels, question manufacturers, and choose cleaner products is one of the most accessible ways to reduce your toxic load and support your overall health during this stage of life.
Sources
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “Regulations.” Accessed 2024.
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “Makeup.” Accessed 2024.
Cosmetics Info. “Benzophenone.” Accessed 2024.
Environmental Protection Agency. “Minamata Convention on Mercury.” Accessed 2024.
European Food Safety Authority CEF Panel. “The Toxicological Evaluation of Benzophenone.” EFSA Journal, June 11, 2009.
Gamer, A.O., E. Leibold, and B. van Ravenzwaay. “The Inhalation Toxicity of Di- and Triethanolamine upon Repeated Exposure.” Food and Chemical Toxicology 46, no. 6 (2008): 2173–83.
International Agency for Research on Cancer. “Ethyl Acrylate.” Accessed 2024. Methacrylate Producers Association Inc. “The Methacrylate Producers Association’s Position on Use of Methacrylic Acid and Unreacted Methacrylate Monomers Liquid Form in Artificial Nail Products.” April 2012.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Lead in Cosmetics.” Accessed 2024.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use.” Federal Register, 2021.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA Authority Over Cosmetics: How Cosmetics Are Regulated.” Accessed 2024.
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Gore, Andrea C., V.A. Chappell, S.E. Fenton, J.A. Flaws, A. Nadal, G.S. Prins, J. Toppari, and R.T. Zoeller. “EDC-2: The Endocrine Society’s Second Scientific Statement on Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals.” Endocrine Reviews 36, no. 6 (2015): E1–E150. DOI: 10.1210/er.2015-1010.
