Personal Care Products and Their Chemical Constituents | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Source: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/atniehs/labs/iha/projects/pcp
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:21
Personal Care Products and Their Chemical Constituents | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
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Personal Care Products and Their Chemical Constituents
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Project Status
Topic under evaluation
Branches and DTT Programs
Integrative Health Assessments Branch
Consumer Products and Therapeutics
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.
]
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to Top
Last Reviewed: February 06, 2026
Skip Navigation
Personal Care Products and Their Chemical Constituents
Close the left navigation
Add
Project Status
Topic under evaluation
Branches and DTT Programs
Integrative Health Assessments Branch
Consumer Products and Therapeutics
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.
]
Back
to Top
Last Reviewed: February 06, 2026