Fragranced products could trigger early puberty in girls, new study finds

The average age of puberty has reportedly decreased since the 1990s with a new US-backed study suggesting a hormone-mimicking chemical in cosmetics could be triggering an early onset.

The study from the US National Institutes of Health and North Western University suggested that some chemicals typically found in perfumes, cosmetics and detergents block and mirror the hormone production behind the onset of puberty in girls.

The chemicals in question tend to be responsible for the sweet and musky smell behind fragranced products. They're also said to be found in some medications for asthma and smoking cessation.

Over the last century, the age of women starting menstruation and breast development has decreased. While socioeconomic and racial factors are prevalent, the findings left scientists wanting to delve into potential environmental factors and their effects on such early changes.

Dr Natalie Shaw, a co-senior author of the new study, said that while there is also a link between early puberty and excess weight in young girls, the rapid rate is "100 per cent environmental factors".

Researchers explored 10,000 different compounds present in licensed pharmaceuticals before discovering chemicals that mimicked, derailed, and even blocked hormones in the body’s endocrine system.

The synthetic fragrance, musk ambrette, was found in many of the self-care products and a group of medications called cholinergic agonists. The study suggested it could potentially attach to a puberty-related receptor and prompt the release of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which plays a part in the production of progesterone, testosterone and estrogen.

European and Canadian regulations restrict musk ambrette because of the potential toxicity, but it is still contained in some products across the world and online.

“This study suggests that, out of an abundance of caution, it is important for parents to only use personal care products for their children that are federally regulated," Dr Shaw said.

"More research is needed to confirm our findings," Shaw concluded. "But the ability of these compounds to stimulate key receptors in the hypothalamus — the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor [GnRHR] and the kisspeptin receptor [KISS1R] — raises the possibility that exposure may prematurely activate the reproductive axis in children."

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