Are men’s health products safe?

By special guest author Craig Cooper

When you open your medicine cabinet, there’s a good chance the contents staring back at you are pretty hazardous to your health. Disguised in the canisters, tubes, bottles and sprays are insidious toxic ingredients that the federal government allows manufacturers to use in products men put on (and when they penetrate your skin, in) their body every day.

One of the biggest parts of the problem has to do with the scent of these products. Two thirds of the chemicals used by the fragrance industry have not undergone safety testing. And more than three dozen chemicals not listed on the labels of big-name brand men’s personal care products were found to be either untested or associated with allergic reactions, damage to sperm (resulting infertility), or disruption of hormone levels (including testosterone, other male hormones, and thyroid hormones).

Pthalates are some of the most dangerous chemicals used in plastics and lubricants, and are not listed on men’s products. Phthalates have been shown to be detectable in men’s bodies within 48 hours of using aftershave or cologne. So imagine the harm they could do if you consistently use these products.

While you should be concerned about the fragrances in your personal care products, they aren’t the only toxins hiding in your medicine cabinet. So before you slap on the aftershave, lather up in the shower, or get ready for a night on the town, take a look at the following 4 items that may be harboring health hazards in your medicine cabinet and consider some healthy alternatives.

Aftershave

Along with the phthalates lurking in your aftershave, you should also be concerned about propylene glycol — a type of alcohol that is more appropriate for your car, since it is also used in antifreeze. The known carcinogens benzyl acetate and ethyl acetate are solvents that are used in aftershave, and while you won’t see their names on the label, you could experience respiratory, skin, and eye irritation.