Musk ambrette: How common household chemicals could be triggering early puberty in girls

The age at which girls hit puberty has been falling at an alarming rate for decades, and scientists have struggled to explain why. The average age is now about 11 years for girls but this has dropped by four years since the 1950s.

Concerningly, a study from the Harvard School of Public Health highlighted that 15 per cent of girls experienced early periods, younger than age 11 and that two per cent started menstruating at eight years old. 

Apart from the psychological issues of very young girls dealing with menstruation and period pains, starting puberty prematurely is linked to health effects lasting into adulthood, including higher risks of breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease. It can also lead to shortened stature in both girls and boys.

Previously, scientists have suggested obesity as the possible cause as oestrogen is made and stored in fat cells but the evidence for this is not consistent.

This new research suggests a compound called musk ambrette, a synthetic fragrance, found in a wide variety of commonly used products, can trigger early puberty. There is a good chance you or your kids have exposed to it already today. It is ubiquitous, added to cosmetics, shampoo, shower gels, deodorants, air fresheners and detergents found in most households.

It can also be added to perfume, albeit usually inexpensive or counterfeit varieties, and has turned up in surveys of wastewater and in the bodies of freshwater fish.

The research, led by Dr Natalie Shaw, who is a paediatric endocrinologist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina, showed that musk ambrette has the ability to latch on to a puberty-related receptor in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This triggers the release of a hormone involved in the maturation of sexual organs and the production of oestrogen, testosterone and progesterone. Together, these chemicals send signals to the body to start puberty.

This is not the first time scientists have raised concerns about the hormonal effects of cosmetics, household products and environment pollutants - collectively known as xenoestrogens or endocrine disruptors. As long ago as 2001, Professor Philippa Darbre wrote a widely publicised report raising concerns that cosmetics were a contributory factor in the rising incidence of hormone-related illnesses.

The chemicals of concern within antiperspirants, in addition to the fragrance, include phthalates, parabens, benzophenone-3, triclosan aluminium, all of which can stimulate the oestrogen receptors. They also have been shown to add to the health risk by increasing chronic inflammation and altering the expression of the genes we have been born with. Prof Darbre, very appropriately, argued that these factors could affect puberty in children and breast cancer in adults.

Not surprisingly, many manufacturers counter-argued that the concentration of these chemicals is too low to trigger these risks in humans, which is probably true if you only look at one product at a time. However, we are exposed to hormone-inducing chemicals from multiple different sources every day so you have to consider the “total hormonal load”.

Xenoestrogens are found in pesticides, car emissions, fuels, and polycarbonate plastic (PCPs) bottles, bags and containers. It is difficult to avoid these chemicals in today’s environment, and it’s a sad fact that the quantity of plastics found in the sea, rivers and lakes is increasing exponentially. Polluted air inside our homes, contaminants by cleaning products, paint and furnishings, known collectively as volatile organic compounds, can also contribute to the total hormonal load.

Some manufacturers have also argued that topical application of cosmetics and creams does not result in significant absorption of their oestrogenic and potential carcinogenic chemicals. This has been refuted by several studies which have found that fragrance chemicals, including musk ambrette, phthalates, parabens and triclosan are all measurable in the blood, breast milk and urine within hours.

The study published this week has added to the increasingly convincing body of evidence that that xenoestrogenic pollutants are responsible for the disturbing trends in early puberty and also a wide range of other adverse hormonal related illnesses including breast, testicular and uterine cancer all of which seem to be presenting at a younger age.

Although it sounds like a plot in a conspiracy film, xenoestrogenic pollutants could be responsible for the eventual demise of mankind. They also lower libido and sperm count so in the future, even if people could be motivated to have sex, a successful pregnancy would be unlikely.

In conclusion, it is impossible to live a life completely free of toxins. It is also unnecessary – as the body’s antioxidant defences are able to cope with a certain amount of them. It’s only when they are absorbed, inhaled or consumed in excess that our defences and hormonal system gets overwhelmed. Likewise, their harmful effect very much depends on the total amount absorbed or inhaled over time or whether they are combined with factors that mitigate their impact, such as exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and a varied phytochemical rich diet.

Nevertheless, it would be very sensible to make positive steps to reduce the exposure to musk ambrette and other xenoestrogenic chemicals for ourselves, our children and the planet. Here are some tips:

• Limit the number of household cleaning agents and keep the house well ventilated when they are used
• Discourage young children from using cosmetics, perfumes or deodorants
• Avoid cheap perfumes at any age
• Avoid air fresheners in the house
• Avoid jogging along heavily polluted roads - use the park or beach if possible
• Use make-up sparingly and consider creams and cosmetics with natural alternatives such as essential oils and probiotics
• Use plain or naturally scented soap instead of shower gels and avoid gels or shampoos containing parabens and preservatives
• Limit antiperspirants use to days that matter – try having days off. Take chemical-free water tissues to work to freshen your armpits during the day instead
• Avoid using underarm deodorants or creams within one hour of shaving

For those looking to find out more about evidence-based practical advice surrounding environmental chemicals, how they affect the body and how they can be avoided you may be interested in my book How to Live which provides more in-depth explanations.