Breast cancer rates are rising all over the world, not just in the U.S. A recent World Health Organization report states that the disease has dramatically risen in the last 20 years, in some countries even doubling. The projection for Europe is that one in 10 women will develop breast cancer. One of the ways to reduce the disease is to remove dangerous, hormone disrupting chemicals that we are exposed to through cosmetics.
In the U.S. the main advocates for safe cosmetics are the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, founded by numerous environmental and public health organizations, including EWG. In Europe, health campaigners, including ChemTrust, have recently called for a Europe-wide ban on certain chemicals found in cosmetics and pesticides, to help cut rising rates of the disease. A study by Professor Andreas Kortenkamp, the head of toxicology at the University of London's School of Pharmacy, states:
"We will not be able to reduce the risk of breast cancer without addressing preventable causes, particularly exposure to chemicals."
The time of the belief in breast cancer as an inevitable and inherited disease is long gone. We are exposed to chemicals that cause preventable exposures, but without laws to protect public health, consumers unfortunately have to try to shop their way out of this problem. A good way to start is by checking out EWG's Skin Deep cosmetics database.
