Can plastic additives in personal care products like shampoo and lotion increase cholesterol?

What's actually in it

Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) include a broad category of chemicals from cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, deodorants, cleaning products, and over-the-counter medications. They contain fragrances, preservatives, UV filters, antimicrobials, and other active ingredients. Many of these absorb through skin or mucous membranes into the bloodstream.

Several of these chemical categories (parabens, UV filters, certain fragrances) activate hormone receptors that play roles in lipid metabolism. The liver, which controls cholesterol synthesis and clearance, is sensitive to hormonal signals. Chemical disruption of these signals can shift cholesterol production and clearance.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Sci Technol analyzed personal care product chemical exposure and lipid levels in a population sample. Higher combined PPCP exposure was associated with elevated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, with higher odds of clinically diagnosed hyperlipidemia.

The association ran across multiple chemical categories, not one specific ingredient, suggesting broad chemical disruption of lipid metabolism rather than one specific mechanism. People with higher beauty and hygiene product use, and those using more heavily fragranced products, had higher total PPCP body burdens.

Simplifying personal care routines, choosing fragrance-free formulations, and using fewer products overall reduces the total PPCP chemical load. The same fragrance-free approach that reduces phthalate and paraben exposure also reduces this broader lipid metabolism risk.