Hi everyone, my name is Michelle Calderon, and I am the Founder of Addition Beauty, a nontoxic and hormone-safe beauty brand rooted in transparency and performance without compromising your wellness. My desire to start Addition Beauty stemmed from the lack of readily available beauty products without endocrine disruptors and other toxic ingredients - the onus falls on the consumer to find safe and effective options.
As a former cosmetic formulation chemist for a major beauty company, I was shocked to learn that chemicals in everyday personal care products could be impacting natural hormone function and influencing my PCOS symptoms. From there, I sifted through research, built a growing blacklist of chemicals I refuse to use, learned to read labels, and replaced my beauty staples with cleaner alternatives.
Makeup was the hardest category to switch. I began by formulating an everyday lipstick free of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, fragrance, and synthetic lake dyes/colorants. I absolutely loved the result, and that’s how Addition Beauty was born!
If you’ve been searching for beauty products without endocrine disruptors, this guide breaks down what to avoid, what to look for, and why “clean” doesn’t always mean hormone-safe.
The Hidden Hormone Disruptors in Your Makeup Bag
For most women, beauty routines are second nature. But here’s the reality: women use an average of 12 personal care products daily, exposing themselves to around 168 unique chemicals. Without knowing it, they may repeatedly expose themselves to compounds that interfere with hormonal health - the system regulating fertility, mood, metabolism, and skin.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are sneaky. Even in small amounts, they can interfere with hormone signaling - especially estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormones. What makes them especially concerning is the daily exposure through cosmetics, skincare, and personal care. Some studies show that EDCs can reduce fertility rates, lead to negative birth outcomes, and increase the risk of women’s health issues such as miscarriages or ovarian decline.
Some common EDCs in beauty products
- Parabens – mimic estrogen, linked to hormone-sensitive cancers.
- Phthalates – plasticizing chemicals such as diethyl phthalate (DEP) that can disrupt reproductive systems; often hidden under “fragrance”.
- Triclosan – antimicrobial that impairs thyroid hormone regulation.
- Bisphenol A/ Bisphenol S (BPA/ BPS) – leach from plastic packaging, mimic estrogen, disrupt endocrine signaling.
- Petrochemical-derived ingredients like mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum which may carry carcinogenic contaminants and contribute no wellness benefit.
- Synthetic FD&C (Food, Drug & Cosmetic)/ Lake dyes such as petroleum-derived colorants, sometimes contaminated with heavy metals.
When you layer multiple beauty products daily, cumulative exposures add up and so do the risks.
“Clean” Does Not Equal Hormone-Safe
Stroll down any beauty aisle and you’ll see “clean”, “natural” and “nontoxic” everywhere. But these words are not regulated in the beauty industry. A product labeled “clean” might omit parabens but still be loaded with phthalates in its fragrance or use synthetic dyes derived from petroleum.
Even “natural” claims can mislead. If a brand does not provide full ingredient disclosure, they may be engaging in greenwashing.
In short: clean beauty does not always mean beauty without endocrine disruptors. Always read the ingredient list. Never assume based on branding.
Ingredients to Avoid vs. Embrace for Hormone Wellness
When it comes to beauty without endocrine disruptors, knowledge is power.
Ingredients to avoid (select examples)
- Parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben)
- Phthalates (e.g. diethyl phthalate or DEP in “fragrance”)
- Triclosan
- Chemical UV filters (oxybenzone, octinoxate)
- BHA / BHT (butylated hydroxyanisole / butylated hydroxytoluene)
- PEGs (polyethylene glycols) and other ethoxylated compounds
- Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (such as quaternium compounds)
- FD&C / Lake dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, etc.)
- Mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin
Note: The above is a quick guide. At Addition Beauty, we maintain a far broader “Addition Standard” blacklist. For a fuller list of harmful ingredients, see EWG’s “Toxic Twelve” and cosmetics contaminants list.
Superstar ingredients to embrace
- Castor Seed Oil - deeply moisturizes, supports skin barrier integrity
- Pomegranate Seed Oil - rich in antioxidants, combats oxidative damage
- Squalane - hydrating, non-comedogenic, supports lipid balance
- Seaweed Extract (Undaria Pinnatifida) - detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, supports microbiome
- Vitamin C (Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate) - brightens, supports collagen, protects against pollutants
These ingredients don’t just avoid harm, they actively support resilience, calm hormonal inflammation, and protect balance during life phases like menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause.
For supporting evidence on safe botanical actives and non-disruptive ingredients, see cosmetic science reviews and botanical antioxidant research.
The Science Behind Hormone Disruption in Beauty
How do beauty ingredients actually interfere with hormones? The pathways are well documented:
- Mimicking Hormones: Certain compounds (e.g. parabens, some UV filters) structurally mimic estrogen, allowing them to bind to estrogen receptors and distort normal hormone signals.
- Blocking Hormones: Chemicals like triclosan have been shown to hamper thyroid hormone action, altering metabolism and energy regulation.
- Bioaccumulation: Many EDCs accumulate in fat tissue over time. Even low daily exposures, repeated over years, may lead to harmful internal loads.
- Critical Windows of Exposure: Life stages such as puberty, pregnancy, or perimenopause present windows of vulnerability. Fluctuating hormone levels make interference from EDCs more impactful.
Because of these mechanisms,
... hormone-safe beauty is not just a trend - it is a biological necessity for long-term wellness.
How to Shop Smarter for Hormone-Safe Beauty
If you want to shop smarter, a few tools can help*:
- Switch Natural (my favorite app!)
- EWG’s Skin Deep database
- Credo Beauty (on Google Play and App Store)
- Yuka App
- Think Dirty
Pro tips
-
If a label says “fragrance” or “parfum”, it could mask a cocktail of up to 3,000 chemicals, many linked to hormone disruption.
-
If a brand leans heavily on the words “natural” or “clean” without full ingredient disclosure, consider it a red flag.
*Disclaimer: These apps and retailers are recommended as general resources, but no tool is 100% accurate, nor are all products they list or sell guaranteed to be entirely free of endocrine disruptors or other toxins. Always double-check ingredient labels yourself.
Holistic Hormone Health Inside and Out
What you put in your body every day impacts your hormone health — but so does what you put on your body. Endocrine disruptors in beauty products are just one of many hidden factors that can throw hormones out of balance. That’s why a holistic approach matters.
At Addition Beauty, we minimize external hormone disruptors with safe, thoughtful cosmetics. At the same time, practices like seed cycling, a foundational concept at Two Moons, nourish your body from within, helping naturally support hormonal balance through food-based rhythms.
Together, clean beauty on the outside and supportive nutrition on the inside create a powerful foundation for hormone wellness.
Explore more at additionbeauty.com, where you’ll find our shop and blog. And to stay-in-the-know about nontoxic and hormone-safe beauty, follow us on Instagram @addition.beauty.
This is beauty with purpose - safe, elevated, and designed for every stage of your hormonal journey.
While this blog discusses health topics, it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider regarding any question you might have regarding your health.
About the Author
Michelle Calderon is the founder of Addition Beauty, a nontoxic and hormone-safe cosmetics brand. A former color cosmetic chemist with a background in biology, strategic operations, and finance, Michelle started Addition after navigating PCOS and uncovering harmful chemicals in everyday beauty. Michelle is passionate about empowering women to choose high-performing, hormone-safe products through every stage of life.
References
1. Environmental Working Group — Survey finds use of personal care products up since 2004 (average 12 products/ 168 chemicals), EWG
2. Endocrine disrupting chemicals in reproductive health, fertility, and early development, Frontiers
3. The role of endocrine disruptors in female infertility, PMC
4. The Toxic Twelve Chemicals and Contaminants in Cosmetics, EWG
5. For phthalates/ DEP and endocrine disruption (example review), PMC
6. Review/ statements on triclosan as endocrine disruptor/ review of EDCs, PMC
7. BPA/ BPS exposure discussions in EDC & reproduction literature, PMC
Also: Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement, PMC
8. The Toxic Twelve Chemicals and Contaminants in Cosmetics (also lists many to avoid), EWG
9. Cosmetic science/ botanical ingredient safety reviews - harder to find a single URL that exactly matches; a relevant review - Advances in understanding the reproductive toxicity of endocrine disruptors, Frontiers
10. Endocrine Society & receptor binding/ EDC reproduction effects - Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals - An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement, PMC
11. Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors During Adulthood (review), PMC
12/ 13. Reviews on critical windows, developmental exposure, vulnerability periods - The adverse role of endocrine disrupting chemicals in reproduction, Frontiers
Endocrine Disruptors and Female Fertility: a review of pesticide and plasticizer effects, PMC