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Frequent use of cosmetics threatens the development of diabetes
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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There is a clear link between phthalates, which are found in cosmetics and plastics, and the risk of developing diabetes in older people, according to scientists from the Uppsala Institute (Sweden).
The researchers say the findings (though they urge confirmation by more in-depth experiments) support the hypothesis that certain environmental chemicals may be to blame for the development of diabetes in humans.
The researchers reviewed information from the PIVUS study, which involved 1,000 70-year-old residents of Uppsala. During a medical examination, the men and women had their fasting blood sugar levels and insulin levels checked. The study participants also gave blood samples for analysis of all kinds of environmental toxicants, including substances that form when the body transforms phthalates. Most of us come into contact with phthalates every day, as they are used as softeners for plastics and added to cosmetics and personal care products.
The analysis showed that those who were overweight and had high levels of triglycerides and blood lipids were more likely to develop diabetes. And the relationship between blood phthalate levels and diabetes was consistent even after accounting for factors such as obesity, blood lipids and triglycerides, smoking, and exercise.
Subjects with elevated blood phthalate levels were nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes as those with the lowest levels, not to mention that certain types of phthalates have been linked to impaired insulin production by the pancreas.
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