Are Pretty Products Causing Early Puberty?
Medical experts wonder why so many third grade girls have already developed breasts and pubic hair. Early puberty in boys is less obvious but also of concern. Not Too Pretty, a report based on studies conducted for three environmental groups, suggests a possible answer. (The report is available at www.nottoopretty.org/report.htm) The research report conducted by the Environmental Working Group, Health Care Without Harm, and Coming Clean provides the results of research by a national laboratory to test 72 name-brand, widely used beauty products. The lab evaluated the presence of phthalates, a large family of industrial chemicals that are linked to permanent birth defects in animals, especially in the male reproductive system, and are also considered a potential cause for early puberty in boys and girls in early elementary school. In response to pressure from several nonprofit organizations resulting from the report, Revlon, L’Oral SA and Unilever announced in early 2005 that they no lon
