Cosmetics and Breast Cancer: Should Teens Ditch the Makeup?

Could that strawberry-pink blush your teenage daughter rubs on her cheeks every morning be increasing her breast cancer risk? What about the sudsy lavender shower soap you both like?

A controversial new report highlights teen girls' extra vulnerability to environmental contaminants during their crucial adolescent years, and revisits an unsettled debate over whether cosmetics are part of the problem.

So-called hormone disrupters are the toxic troublemakers at the center of this discussion.

These chemicals—found not just in cosmetics but also in pesticides, plastics, and drugs—are thought to mimic hormones such as estrogen when they’re absorbed by the human body. And high, sustained levels of estrogen are linked to the development of breast cancer.

The question is: How to navigate the largely self-regulated cosmetics industry as a conscientious shopper? Is there something you should be doing to help protect your daughters and granddaughters from the world around them?