Background Information

Personal care products (PCPs) — such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, cosmetics, nail polish, perfume, and chemical hair straighteners — are widely used in daily life. These products contain many different ingredients and can be an important source of exposure to a variety of chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like phthalates and phenols.

A growing body of research suggests that some chemicals found in PCPs may be linked to adverse health effects in people. To evaluate these potential health effects, researchers have traditionally investigated one chemical at a time. However, this process is resource- and time-intensive and does not fully account for the fact that many of these chemicals are structurally related and may act in similar ways. This has led to increasing interest in “class-based” approaches, where groups of related chemicals are evaluated together.

Projects

To support decision-making using a class-based approach, the Division of Translational Toxicology has developed two complementary projects to identify and assess the scientific evidence that PCPs impact human health with respect to:

• Timing of puberty
• Fetal growth

Documents

• Taylor KW, Howdeshell KL, Bommarito PA, Sibrizzi CA, Blain RB, Magnuson K, Lemeris C, Tracy W, Baird DD, Jackson CL, Gaston SA, Rider CV, Walker VR, Rooney AA. 2023. Systematic evidence mapping informs a class-based approach to assessing personal care products and pubertal timing. Environ Int 181:108307. [ Abstract Taylor KW, Howdeshell KL, Bommarito PA, Sibrizzi CA, Blain RB, Magnuson K, Lemeris C, Tracy W, Baird DD, Jackson CL, Gaston SA, Rider CV, Walker VR, Rooney AA. 2023. Systematic evidence mapping informs a class-based approach to assessing personal care products and pubertal timing. Environ Int 181:108307. ]
• Taylor K, Howdeshell K, Bommarito P, Blain R, Cooney G, Duke K, Magnuson K, Segal A, Sibrizzi C, Baird D, Gaston S, Jackson C, Rider C, Walker V, Rooney A. 2024. Protocol for the systematic review of exposure to chemicals in personal care products and timing of puberty. PROSPERO. [ Full Text Taylor K, Howdeshell K, Bommarito P, Blain R, Cooney G, Duke K, Magnuson K, Segal A, Sibrizzi C, Baird D, Gaston S, Jackson C, Rider C, Walker V, Rooney A. 2024. Protocol for the systematic review of exposure to chemicals in personal care products and timing of puberty. PROSPERO. ]
• Howdeshell K, Taylor K, Rooney A, Walker V, Hall S, Goodman S. 2025. Protocol for a systematic review of exposure to chemicals in personal care products and fetal growth. PROSPERO. [ Full Text Howdeshell K, Taylor K, Rooney A, Walker V, Hall S, Goodman S. 2025. Protocol for a systematic review of exposure to chemicals in personal care products and fetal growth. PROSPERO. ]