Uses & Products

Nurses use a wide range of personal care products like shampoo, soap, shaving cream, and lotion, to clean their patients' skin and hair.

Health Concerns

One-third of all products contain one or more ingredients linked to cancer, and 40 percent of products contain fragrance, mixtures often associated with allergic reactions.

Survey Findings

0 percent of more than 1,500 nurses surveyed reported on-the-job exposures. Nurses' use of personal care products (lotions, powders, soap) on patients adds to their own personal exposures. In the U.S. women use an average of 12 products a day with 168 unique ingredients; men use 6 products with 85 ingredients on average.

Exposure and disease frequencies provided represent responses from more than 1,500 nurses to an online survey concerning their job history, their health, and the health of their children. Analysis of these data show that nurses highly exposed to personal care products reported a number of health problems at higher rates than other nurses.

Note: This survey was not "controlled" — it was open to any nurse interested in responding. Therefore, it is not possible to cannot draw rigorous, scientific conclusions from the data. But the survey does show that many nurses exposed to chemicals and other hazards on the job are experiencing health problems. More research is critically needed.

Exposures are prevalent: 1,552 nurses & personal care products

0% are now or were ever exposed on the job

0% of nurses exposed while pregnant

0% of nurses exposed currently or over past 5 years

0% of nurses exposed routinely (at least once per week) for 10 years or more

Magee-Women's Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Registered nurse Michele Ondeck identified a real need to raise awareness among her patients and her community about the potential health effects linked to personal care products. She designed an outreach program on the topic that was presented by junior volunteers and Girls on the Run, a national program for girls ages 8-13. The one hour program, "Safer Choices for Looking Good," explored health and environmental issues surrounding key cosmetic ingredients of concern, examined many popular, widely-used products, and provided information on safer alternatives. The success of this outreach program lead to its dissemination into local community organizations, church groups, and after school programs, all looking to educate the community. Outreach programs like this one are part of Magee-Women's Hospital's multi-faceted approach to health, and earned the hospital an award from the Environmental Protection Agency for Building Health Professional Capacity.

More details: Luminary Project