Post: #1

This seems like something you guys would be interested in. I wish I was being sensationalist but I'm not.

I really hope it's not true, because I like using tee tea oil in defence soap and mixing it in with jojoba oil for my beard. Somebody tell me it's bullshit!

link

Quote:Exposure to lavender and tea tree oils could be causing young boys to develop breasts, as they contain chemicals which can mimic the effect of female hormones, scientists have warned.

American researchers have identified chemicals in essential oils used in soaps, cleaning products and home remedies that could explain why boys have developed a condition called prepubertal gynecomastia.


Doctors are looking closely at common chemicals in the environment dubbed “endocrine disruptors”, which interrupt the production and action of hormones – the chemical messengers of the body.

“Our society deems essential oils as safe,” said J Tyler Ramsey, research fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and lead author of the study.

“However, they possess a diverse amount of chemicals and should be used with caution, because some of these chemicals are potential endocrine disruptors.”

Endocrine disruptors have become a growing area of research as they are widely used in products, from cosmetics to drinks bottles and receipts.

The impact they have is poorly understood but has been linked to childhood obesity, fertility issues and increased cancer risk.

Doctors had thought there might be similar issues with essential oils, after cases where boys who had regularly used tea tree soaps and skin products started developing breasts.

However the condition went away after they stopped using tea tree products. It is also appears that some people are more susceptible to the hormone-disrupting effect, the authors said.

Plastic packaging containing chemical BPA ‘harming brain and nerve

The team investigated eight key chemicals, including eucalyptol, common in cough medicines and decongestants, from the hundreds of components of tea tree and lavender oils.

All eight had hormone-disrupting effects, either acting similarly to the female sex hormone oestrogen, or acting to block male hormones.

While the chemicals were tested in human cells grown in laboratory, the results were consistent with hormonal conditions that would lead to gynecomastia in humans, the researchers said.

These chemicals are also found in 65 other essential oils, which are common in soaps, lotions, shampoos, hairstyling products, cologne and laundry detergents.

The findings are due to be published at the ENDO 2018 conference in Chicago and have not yet been published.

Post: #2

Interesting.

The previous study cited in the article, where a small number of boys were using soaps and other products that contained tea tree oil and lavender among other things, were not at all scientifically rigorous, but this new study appears to have isolated the essential oils and tested them in a laboratory setting.

We'll have to wait for the full data to be released, I guess.

Post: #3

Tea tree oil and lavender are endocrine disrupting chemicals that mimic the effects of estrogen in the body. Just like soy and bpa.

Im pretty educated on this stuff but never came across tea tree oil or lavender to be EDCs. Good find op...brings up an interesting point to.....looks like its time to use specialty soaps to avoid EDCs in soap.

Gmanifesto said it first though....about shampoo being soy.....he was right after all. I've written a research paper on endocrine disrupting chemicals(2 years ago). Never came across anything specifically calling out shampoos/soaps.

Post: #4

(03-17-2018 01:02 PM)churros Wrote:  This seems like something you guys would be interested in. I wish I was being sensationalist but I'm not.

I really hope it's not true, because I like using tee tea oil in defence soap and mixing it in with jojoba oil for my beard. Somebody tell me it's bullshit!

link

Quote:Exposure to lavender and tea tree oils could be causing young boys to develop breasts, as they contain chemicals which can mimic the effect of female hormones, scientists have warned.

American researchers have identified chemicals in essential oils used in soaps, cleaning products and home remedies that could explain why boys have developed a condition called prepubertal gynecomastia.


Doctors are looking closely at common chemicals in the environment dubbed “endocrine disruptors”, which interrupt the production and action of hormones – the chemical messengers of the body.

“Our society deems essential oils as safe,” said J Tyler Ramsey, research fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and lead author of the study.

“However, they possess a diverse amount of chemicals and should be used with caution, because some of these chemicals are potential endocrine disruptors.”

Endocrine disruptors have become a growing area of research as they are widely used in products, from cosmetics to drinks bottles and receipts.

The impact they have is poorly understood but has been linked to childhood obesity, fertility issues and increased cancer risk.

Doctors had thought there might be similar issues with essential oils, after cases where boys who had regularly used tea tree soaps and skin products started developing breasts.

However the condition went away after they stopped using tea tree products. It is also appears that some people are more susceptible to the hormone-disrupting effect, the authors said.

Plastic packaging containing chemical BPA ‘harming brain and nerve

The team investigated eight key chemicals, including eucalyptol, common in cough medicines and decongestants, from the hundreds of components of tea tree and lavender oils.

All eight had hormone-disrupting effects, either acting similarly to the female sex hormone oestrogen, or acting to block male hormones.

While the chemicals were tested in human cells grown in laboratory, the results were consistent with hormonal conditions that would lead to gynecomastia in humans, the researchers said.

These chemicals are also found in 65 other essential oils, which are common in soaps, lotions, shampoos, hairstyling products, cologne and laundry detergents.

The findings are due to be published at the ENDO 2018 conference in Chicago and have not yet been published.

Whats wrong with using a regular soap, like Dove to wash your beard?

Post: #5

INGREDIENTS FOR DOVE SOAP: Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Tallowate Or Sodium Palmitate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Water, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoate Or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Edta, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).

The issue is that unless you have the chemistry knowledge to look at that list of ingredients and know weather or not each one is an EDC that mimics the effects of estrogen in the body there could be another one lurking in the mist.

The fact that lavender and tee tree oil are EDCs just serves the purpose of making us consumers more aware. That doesn't make dove soap safe.


Also fragrance isnt very telling. What if the edc is hidden with that term fragrance? How do we know that lavender is not included in their fragrance cocktail?

Post: #6

Even if its not an edc it can still be bad.Tetrasodium edta at high enough doses depletes zinc levels in the body.

If your zinc levels are low then your testosterone levels are going to be low. Still potential for it to disrupt your endocrine function.

Post: #7

(03-17-2018 02:07 PM)SteezeySteve Wrote:  Even if its not an edc it can still be bad.Tetrasodium edta at high enough doses depletes zinc levels in the body.

If your zinc levels are low then your testosterone levels are going to be low. Still potential for it to disrupt your endocrine function.

What's the most digestible form of zinc supplement?

Post: #8

I hope this isn't true. I always shower with peppermint and/or lavender oils.

Post: #9

Form of zinc your body absorbes the best: zinc chelate

Post: #10

Just because you rub it on your scalp doesn't mean it enters the blood stream in any meaningful amount. Your skin does a fairly good job of keeping stuff out.

You typically have to blend a hormone with DMSO to apply it transdermally.

Post: #11

Depends on the formulation. Some of these chemicals are added do the ingredients penetrate deeper. Nobody applies hormone creams in a hot shower. Even the water you shower with contains Endocrine disrupting chemicals.

The thing with EDCs is none of us could 100% eliminate them from our lives. We are exposed to them from a lot of different sources. We have been exposed to them since birth. Even Baby formula can contain EDCs.

The cell walls of plants contain phytoestrogens. Every plant from Spinach to kale to tomatoes contains small amounts if EDCs. No big deal...your fruit and veggies also have some awesome stuff like antioxidants,vitamins,and fiber which is good for us. The amount of phytoestrogens in most plants is negligible.

The issue with these chemicals is not one particular source except in extreme cases (which is usually how we find out xyz is an EDC). The issue is our bodies have been bombarded with endocrine disruptors from a variety if scources since birth. One scource is nothing. This shit is in the grass you are choosing you walk in,air you breath,food you eat (pesticides on produce,animals store the poisonous chemicals as fat in their flesh,soy lecithen is in your protein powder)and water(birth control pills,water run off. Water treatment plants dont filter endocrine disrupting chemicals out of water.)

You're being exposed and have no choice.

BPA FREE IS A SCAM.Add a carbon here or a hydrogen there and no that blender bottle is bpa free..some of the alternative plastics could be just as bad or worse as the original BPA. There is a reason they are not labeling products as "Endocrine disrupting chemical free".

Post: #12

Why use chemical laden bullshit anyways?

I've been doing no shampoo for 6-7 years, love it. Also hardy ever use soap, don't really need it, if anything I use black African soap.

You don't realize you don't need something until you stop using it.

Post: #13

(03-17-2018 02:35 PM)churros Wrote:  

(03-17-2018 02:07 PM)SteezeySteve Wrote:  Even if its not an edc it can still be bad.Tetrasodium edta at high enough doses depletes zinc levels in the body.

If your zinc levels are low then your testosterone levels are going to be low. Still potential for it to disrupt your endocrine function.

What's the most digestible form of zinc supplement?

I did lots of research into this awhile back and it was Zinc Orotate that came out as the best

Post: #14

Would you not need to use an absolute ton of tea tree oil to have an actual adverse effect though (assuming it is so bad for men)?

Post: #15

Some guys are more sensitive to this stuff than others or are gonna be prone to this condition. Gyno is fairly common in adult males naturally. Some people just have more estrogen receptors in that area.....and gyno can be pretty minor.

Post: #16

Is tea tree oil that bad if used on toe nails?

Post: #17

(03-18-2018 09:26 PM)TooFineAPoint Wrote:  Would you not need to use an absolute ton of tea tree oil to have an actual adverse effect though (assuming it is so bad for men)?

It's difficult to say because we don't have the full details of this study yet.

I do find it interesting though that the article in the OP tries to imply that "essential oils used in soaps, cleaning products and home remedies ... could explain why boys have developed a condition called prepubertal gynecomastia."

But of course, there's tons of other shit in name brand soaps that is likely harmful, and there are also other things that cause manboobs -- like the soy that's in everything these days.

The fact that they try to claim essential oils are the main cause makes me a little skeptical of the study in general. Like I said, the previous study on this simply tested certain soaps and shampoos on a small number of boys, then claimed the essential oils in the soaps -- not other chemicals in the soaps, the boys' diets, etc. -- were the sole cause.

It kind of stinks of an ulterior motive to attack natural healthcare products.

Post: #18

(03-18-2018 09:26 PM)TooFineAPoint Wrote:  Would you not need to use an absolute ton of tea tree oil to have an actual adverse effect though (assuming it is so bad for men)?

I have no idea about this particular topic, but one thing to keep in mind is that essential oils are often already highly concentrated.

You might require an absolute ton of exposure to tea tree to get the adverse effect, but once someone distills whatever is biologically active and puts it in the bottle, it may be pretty strong stuff.

That's assuming this is true at all, though. Consuming highly concentrated milk is still just an absolute ton of milk.

Post: #19

I would be more concerned with hops in beer - http://www.returnofkings.com/130093/4-hi...stosterone

I found this article for beer with no hops - https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/b...s-germany/

Post: #20

Just ordered Brickell shampoo and conditioner now that nobody stocks what I used to use anymore - which, ironically, was hops-based.

Will report back on whether I develop moobs or turn into John Stamos.

Post: #21

(03-18-2018 11:21 PM)Enigma Wrote:  

(03-18-2018 09:26 PM)TooFineAPoint Wrote:  Would you not need to use an absolute ton of tea tree oil to have an actual adverse effect though (assuming it is so bad for men)?

It's difficult to say because we don't have the full details of this study yet.

I do find it interesting though that the article in the OP tries to imply that "essential oils used in soaps, cleaning products and home remedies ... could explain why boys have developed a condition called prepubertal gynecomastia."

But of course, there's tons of other shit in name brand soaps that is likely harmful, and there are also other things that cause manboobs -- like the soy that's in everything these days.

The fact that they try to claim essential oils are the main cause makes me a little skeptical of the study in general. Like I said, the previous study on this simply tested certain soaps and shampoos on a small number of boys, then claimed the essential oils in the soaps -- not other chemicals in the soaps, the boys' diets, etc. -- were the sole cause.

It kind of stinks of an ulterior motive to attack natural healthcare products.

Also a small boy's body is not like a 20 year old with natural test levels high enough to fight that off.

I don't know how much more a child's skin absorbs or lets things through membranes, but it probably is not as strong as a grown man. My kids get rashes so much easier than my wife and I, that it's something I have to constantly watch out for when changing their clothes. We using chemical free baby wash soaps, lotions made out of beeswax, etc. Still not enough sometimes. Sometimes it's just allergies, sometimes its not.

Post: #22

(03-23-2018 10:23 AM)TravelerKai Wrote:  Also a small boy's body is not like a 20 year old with natural test levels high enough to fight that off.

I don't know how much more a child's skin absorbs or lets things through membranes, but it probably is not as strong as a grown man. My kids get rashes so much easier than my wife and I, that it's something I have to constantly watch out for when changing their clothes. We using chemical free baby wash soaps, lotions made out of beeswax, etc. Still not enough sometimes. Sometimes it's just allergies, sometimes its not.

Yep, which is why you have to be skeptical of these studies. Both the way they're conducted and what they're conducted on is very political.

They've been giving babies soy formula for decades, for instance, but they're quick to jump on any sort of natural healthcare and make sweeping claims about their risks.

Post: #23

Natural healthcare is great.

But nature can be pretty bad. Natural doesn't equal good. Nature includes some nasty shit like jelly fish,water moccasins,poison ivy,rip currents,sharks,and poisonous berrys. Go hangout in the woods or swim near a Jetty and you'll see just how friendly nature is.

Herbs,minerals,and amino acids can be beneficial and bad. St.John's wart can cause spotty eyes and contributes to blindness overtime. Melatonin can fuck up your pineal gland and sleep cycles overtime. Megadose your zinc levels with pills and your copper levels will not be good.take to much iron and see how you feel.


If anything the negative possibilities of natural products is a testament to their potential to effect the body. In a good or bad way.