Is there danger lurking in your favorite beauty products?
Earlier this month, the European Union banned the use of a chemical called TPO (trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide) in gel nail polish.
Showing an abundance of caution, the regulations were made in response to animal studies indicating TPO might cause issues with fertility and reproductive health — but the ingredient remains unrestricted in the US.
That’s not so unusual. While the EU has banned over 1,600 chemicals from use in personal care products, according to the Environmental Working Group, the United States has blacklisted fewer than a dozen.
“A lot of countries have much stricter rules around what’s allowed in food,” Dr. Neha Pathak, who serves on WebMD‘s medical team, told The Post. She compared the US’ approach to food ingredients, in particular, as “innocent until proven guilty.”
In many other countries — like the UK and EU nations — lawmakers are more likely to regulate ingredients that show potential threat, just to be safe.
Sometimes, those ingredients have only been shown to cause harm in animal studies — but in other cases, the risk is evident in humans, too.
And for women, the risk of exposure to these potentially devastating chemicals is even higher.
“The average woman uses 12 beauty products a day, plus chemical exposure from laundry detergent, cleaning products and more — no company is tracking the accumulation of exposure over time and the risk to the individual. We cannot eliminate exposure to endocrine disruptors, but we can limit the number of products to decrease risk,” Dr. Lora Shahine, a reproductive endocrinologist at PNWF in Seattle, told The Post.
Read on to learn more about six chemicals banned elsewhere and permitted in the US.
1. Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde — used in hair-smoothing treatments like Brazilian blowouts, nail hardeners, shampoo, lotions, body soap and eyelash glue — is a known carcinogen and respiratory irritant.
The EU and the UK have banned formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers in personal care products. In Australia, it’s capped at 0.2% in products.
But in the US, those ingredients are not restricted and are routinely added to personal care products — especially those marketed toward black women.
“We found that this isn’t just about hair straighteners,” said Dr. Robin Dodson, an exposure scientist at Silent Spring Institute, who led a study on formaldehyde in personal care products. “These chemicals are in products we use all the time, all over our bodies. Repeated exposures like these can add up and cause serious harm.”
And it’s challenging for consumers to identify formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, as “they have long, weird, funny names, and they typically don’t have the word formaldehyde in them.”
“We’re trying to do the right thing. But there needs to be more government oversight. We shouldn’t have to be chemists to figure out what kinds of products will make us sick,” said Janette Robinson Flint, executive director of Black Women for Wellness.
In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration proposed a national ban on formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers in hair straighteners, but it has not been enacted.
2. Triclosan
Triclosan, an antibacterial agent, has historically been used in household items such as soap, mouthwash and hand sanitizers. Trace elements of it can also be found in clothing, kitchenware, cosmetics and toys.
The chemical is banned in the EU and the UK amid concerns that it causes hormonal problems and potential fertility issues. Meanwhile, Australia limits the use of triclosan to 0.3%
A 2019 study found that women exposed to triclosan were twice as likely to develop osteoarthritis.
In 2016, the FDA banned it from being used in over-the-counter soaps after tests in animals found it disrupted hormones and contributed to the development of antibiotic-resistant germs.
The chemical is still permitted for use in toothpaste and some cosmetics — but due to consumer pressure, several US companies have removed triclosan from their products.
3. DBP and other phthalates
Multiple studies have linked phthalates like dibutyl phthalate (DBP) to various health issues including heart disease, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes — but it’s still used in nail polishes and fragrances in the US.
“Phthalates are endocrine disruptors that can interfere with hormonal and cellular function within the reproductive system. Research has associated high levels of phthalates with increased risk of infertility, poor sperm parameters, poor egg quality and miscarriage,” said Shahine, the reproductive endocrinologist.
DBP is banned in the EU, the UK, and Australia, where it is classified as a reproductive toxicant.
In the US, there is no law preventing the use of DBP, though many brands have voluntarily removed it from their products, citing the health concerns of customers. Concerningly, DBP is often misrepresented on product labels under the generic banner of “fragrance.”
“Companies can claim ‘fragrance’ as a trademark secret, and phthalates are often used to lengthen the shelf life and fragrance of a product, so assume that ‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume’ as an ingredient on a product means there are very likely phthalates included,” said Shahine.
4. Lilial
Butylphenyl methylpropional, or Lilial, is a synthetic fragrance used in perfumes and lotions.
A known endocrine disruptor and reproductive toxicant, it has been banned in the EU and the UK since 2022 — but it’s unrestricted in the US, and many US products include it in their fragrance blends.
“I recommend avoiding added fragrances altogether — in perfumes, scented lotions and shampoos, even scented detergents and antiperspirants,” Andrea Gore, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin, told the Washington Post.
5. Zinc pyrithione
An active ingredient in anti-dandruff shampoos and anti-fungal creams, zinc pyrithione (ZPT) was banned in the EU and the UK in 2022 due to its neurotoxic effects.
Studies have shown that ZPT use can lead to skin irritation, photosensitivity, and other allergic reactions. There are also concerns about the environmental impact of ZPT, specifically its effects on water-based ecosystems.
In the US, zinc pyrithione is used as an FDA-approved active ingredient in dandruff shampoos.
6. Selenium sulfide
Used in medicinal dandruff shampoos and anti-fungal treatments, selenium sulfide has been banned in the EU, the UK and Japan over toxicity concerns.
The ingredient has been deemed a potential human carcinogen.
Selenium sulfide is not banned in the US, and the FDA approves of its use at 1% concentration, with higher concentrations allowed for prescription products.
In Australia, selenium sulfide is permitted in more substantial concentrations, up to 2.5%, but is labeled as a restricted poison.
What can US consumers do to protect themselves — and will US laws catch up?
Databases like those run by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and EWG’s Skin Deep allow users to search for specific products they use for a breakdown of ingredient concerns.
“It is worth being an informed label-reader,” said Timca Pruijt, founder of Laser Hair Removalo.
She noted that the EU bans present a potential path forward for the US: “The upside is that many cosmetic companies have global distribution, so when the EU bans something, big brands often reformulate worldwide rather than make a separate ‘US version’ with the old ingredient.”
Pruijt added that when the EU banned the additives Lilial and zinc pyrithione, many brands sold in the US quietly changed their formulas to comply globally.
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