London: Bad news for young girls who love
wearing make-up to look attractive, as a new study has claimed
that beauty products such as mascara, eye shadow and
foundation contain dangerous chemicals that may lead to
cancer, infertility and hormone imbalance.
The study on girls aged between 14 and 19 found all the
beauty products they tested contained chemicals which could be
dangerous, such as phthalates, triclosan, parabens and musks.
These chemicals have been linked in the past to cancer
and hormone problems and scientists fear they may end up being
connected to depression.
The study carried out by Washington-based Environmental
Working Group (EWG) also stated that the younger a girl was
when she started using make-up, the greater the danger.
"By the time most girls become teenagers many have a
daily make-up ritual," Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, was quoted as saying by The Sun.
"As the layers add up so does exposure to dangerous
chemicals and that`s very bad news for a young girl`s health."
The EWG study is the first looking at the effects of
cosmetics on teenagers.
It found youngsters typically use around 17 personal care
products each day - such as nail polish and hair dye - while
adult women use just 13.
In Britain, most of the girls do not wear make-up before
the age of 11, but some salons and products are available to
children as young as six.
PTI
