Students who view more social media use more products that often harbor hormone-disrupting ingredients
Personal care products are among the largest everyday sources of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and high school students who follow social media influencers or watch beauty tutorials seem to use considerably more of them, according to Rutgers researchers.
A Rutgers-led study found that high school students who frequently view social media and beauty-related content use significantly more personal care products, which may contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. Researchers surveyed 143 students from Princeton High School in New Jersey and discovered that those who followed beauty influencers or watched beauty tutorials used 30% and 40% more products, respectively, in the past 24 hours.
The study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, highlights the potential of social media to increase exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in products like soap, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, sunscreen, skin care products, fragrance, and makeup. Girls reported using an average of 14 products per day, twice as many as boys.
While most students acknowledged concerns about chemical exposure, few took steps to minimize it, such as reading ingredient lists or using safety-rating tools. The study's co-authors, high school students Gabrielle Kaputa and Vita Moss-Wang, played a crucial role in designing the survey and exploring the impact of social media on personal care product use.
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