Do Artificial Fragrance Chemicals Cause Early Puberty?

It’s been known for some time that artificial fragrance compounds can cause skin sensitivity or allergic reactions for some people when using personal care products. But new research is emerging that suggests these chemicals, which are found so often in our everyday hygiene and household products, could pose even greater problems for kids in the form of early puberty. In this post we’ll dig into the trends, the culprits, and what you can do to keep your kids safe.

Puberty has been starting earlier and earlier in kids

The age our kids hit puberty has been steadily falling for decades, with girls having been particularly affected. While menstruation has historically begun between the ages of 12 and 13, now more than 15% of girls experience an early period before the age of 11. And the even more troubling thing is that no one really knows why.

But this is a question that Dr. Natalie Shaw, a pediatric endocrinologist, recently set out to answer along with her team at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Durham, North Carolina.

What’s causing early puberty?

Convinced that changing environmental factors must be causing early puberty, Dr. Shaw and her team sifted through 10,000 chemical compounds looking for any that could influence the timing of puberty. Of the few that fit the bill, only one was thought to be something that kids could commonly be exposed to: musk ambrette.

Musk ambrette is the synthetic form of natural musk, a centuries-old perfumery ingredient originating from a gland of the musk deer — and one of the most expensive fragrance ingredients in the world. Musk became such a popular fragrance ingredient because of its pleasant earthy aroma, as well as its unique ability to smooth out other notes to form a well-balanced scent profile. However, due to its rarity and hefty price tag, artificial musk is almost always used nowadays instead.

Dr. Shaw’s research found that, when it comes in contact with human cells, musk ambrette appears to trigger the release of GnRH, a hormone involved in the maturation of sexual organs as well as the production of estrogen and testosterone. These processes can then spark puberty to begin earlier than it otherwise would under normal circumstances.

It’s important to note, however, that these results are preliminary and not necessarily finite or conclusive. More research is being conducted to determine whether or not musk ambrette is a compound that needs to be restricted, or banned altogether.

Why is early puberty a bad thing?

Starting puberty too early can have long-term health effects that last into adulthood, such as higher risks of breast cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. It can also stunt physical growth and lead to shortened stature in both girls and boys.

And then there’s the mental side of the equation. A 12 or 13-year-old who’s going through puberty at the typical age often struggles to process the physical and hormonal changes happening to their body. Now imagine how a 9 or 10-year-old might feel when going through the same thing. At such a young age, their mental maturity may not be developed enough to fully understand or cope with their bodily changes, making an already confusing experience that much more uncomfortable.

How to avoid products containing musk ambrette

Despite the research on musk ambrette still being ongoing, as a parent you may decide you’d like to steer clear of this ingredient altogether to avoid any potential future risks for your kids. If that’s the case, your mission unfortunately won’t be an easy one, as musk ambrette is rarely listed on a product’s ingredients list.

This is because musk ambrette is one of the 2,500+ fragrance chemicals that are allowed to be included on an ingredients list under the umbrella label “Fragrance/Parfum.” Initially deployed to help manufacturers safeguard their proprietary scent combinations, this catch-all label is now commonly used as a sneaky way of disguising the cheap, not-so-skin-friendly fragrance ingredients used in a product — many of which we clearly still know little about.

Look for fragrance transparency

So, the only way to truly avoid products containing musk ambrette would be to avoid products that list “Fragrance/Parfum” as an ingredient. When you see it, it means the product contains synthetic fragrance chemicals, and likely many of them.

Instead, consider buying your personal care products from brands (like Kobi) that practice complete fragrance transparency — with every fragrance component listed individually on the ingredients list (e.g., lavender essential oil). This approach usually also means that the fragrance components used in the product are natural rather than synthetic. But even if they’re not, at least you know exactly what’s in the product and can make an informed decision about whether or not you want to put it on your child’s body.