Gender, self-care and toxic exposures: a narrative review of personal care product use and health equity implications.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Personal care products (PCPs) are widely used across populations, yet their composition includes a range of hazardous chemicals that pose risks to human health and the environment. Emerging evidence highlights how PCP-related exposures are not evenly distributed, but shaped by intersecting forces of gender, race and social inequality. Despite being framed as tools for empowerment and wellness, PCPs may contribute to disproportionate toxic exposures, particularly for women and girls.

Objective

This narrative review critically examines the environmental health implications of gendered self-care practices through the lens of PCP use. It synthesises current evidence on chemical exposures, identifies high-risk subgroups, explores mechanisms of harm and outlines implica

SUBMITTER: Prifti E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12574390 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature