Study Finds 98% of 113 Personal Care Products Contain Undisclosed Chemicals
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 12
Study Finds 98% of 113 Personal Care Products Contain Undisclosed Chemicals
3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 12
Summary
A Million Marker Research Institute analysis of 113 personal care and cleaning products found 98% contained at least one unlabeled ingredient, with 85% carrying undisclosed chemicals tied to known or suspected health hazards.
The average product contained 51 chemicals—more than triple the number disclosed on labels—and hidden substances included endocrine-disrupting compounds such as phthalates, parabens and butylated hydroxytoluene.
About 57.5% of products failed the researchers’ contamination-based testing, while roughly 26% directly conflicted with label claims, including “hypoallergenic” items containing allergens and “organic” products with synthetic chemicals.
The authors said many hidden chemicals may come from contamination, processing, packaging or chemical reactions after standard premarket tests, and urged routine broad testing of finished products before sale.
Published Tuesday in Environment & Health, the study argues ingredient labels alone cannot reliably signal safety; until fuller results are released, the group advises choosing simpler, fragrance-free products and less plastic packaging.