I’ve been thinking a lot lately about something that honestly shocked me when I first learned about it. We all know that UVC light can kill germs by damaging their DNA, if you read the last blog article (link it here). It’s why hospitals use UV sanitizers and why too much sun exposure is dangerous. But here’s what most people don’t realize: many of the chemicals we use every single day in our makeup, skincare, and cleaning products might be doing something similar to our own cells.
There are over 85,000 human-made chemicals in our environment, and the vast majority have never been tested for safety. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, only about 1,000 are suspected to be endocrine disruptors based on their properties—but they haven’t all been properly studied. Think about that for a second. We’re surrounded by tens of thousands of chemicals that nobody really knows the full effects of.
Dr. Yvonne Burkart, a board-certified toxicologist with over 20 years of experience, puts it bluntly: chemicals and products aren’t required to be tested for safety before they’re released onto the market in the US. That means products can show up on store shelves without anyone knowing how they’ll actually affect our health.
And women? We are hit particularly hard. Research from the Environmental Working Group shows that the average woman uses 12 personal care products daily, exposing herself to 168 unique chemical ingredients. For comparison, men use about 6 products with 85 ingredients.
So here’s where that UVC light comparison comes in. We know that UVC light destroys germs by literally breaking apart their DNA strands. The UV radiation causes direct damage to the genetic material, preventing cells from functioning or reproducing properly.
Recent scientific research has found that many environmental chemicals—especially endocrine-disrupting chemicals—can cause similar damage to human DNA. A comprehensive 2023 review published in the journal Chemosphere looked at nearly a decade of studies on how endocrine disruptors affect DNA. What they found was alarming: these chemicals can cause DNA damage through multiple pathways. Some directly intercalate into the DNA double helix (basically wedging themselves between the strands), altering its structure. Others increase free radicals in the body, leading to oxidative DNA damage. Some are metabolized into forms that create DNA adducts—basically corrupted sections of DNA.
Just like with UVC light, even low doses of these chemicals can cause significant damage. And continuous DNA damage can trigger serious health consequences like autoimmune disorders and cancer.
Dr. Burkart points out that many products marketed to women—everything from fragranced lotions to period products—contain chemicals that can disrupt our hormones and damage cells. The Environmental Working Group has identified common culprits: parabens in cosmetics,
phthalates in fragrances, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives in hair products, and PFAS “forever chemicals” in waterproof makeup.
What can you do? Resources like the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database can help you check what’s in your products. Dr. Burkart recommends starting small—maybe swap out one product at a time for cleaner alternatives, focus on fragrance-free options, or just become more aware of what you’re using daily. You can look at her work at her website, https://dryvonneburkart.com/.
Another important area of the home is the kitchen. Our cookware and utensils are an important piece of this chemical puzzle. Non stick pans, teflon, lots of baking dishes and muffin pans are coated with chemicals. These chemicals leech out when we use these products. Cast iron, ceramic and glass cookware do a great job and don’t leech chemicals into your food. I found a nice glass pot at a thrift store years ago. I used it regularly and I loved it – but sadly, since it was glass, it eventually broke (I dropped it!). So the downside to some of these products is that they are breakable, they are heavier, and may require additional maintenance, but whatever inconvenience it causes, in my opinion, is worth it.
Making informed choices is what it’s all about! Hopefully having the right information through ewg.org will help to identify the things worth using, and worth tossing! It’s also a great resource for cleaning products. You would be amazed how your home dish soap and hand soap ranks in terms of how it effects your health. Our company routinely uses ewg.org to vet products for use in homes. We highly value this tool in identifying a better way to choose products to use on a daily basis. Contact us for a quote get a quote now