Dr. Samuel Epstein, Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, is warning women that toxic ingredients in Avon Products put users at risk of cancer and hormonal changes.
A class of ingredients in Avon products, parabens, has been shown to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells in laboratory tests, and parabens have been identified as possible causes of breast cancer. Parabens mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers.
Persuasive evidence has accumulated over the last decade that parabens are readily absorbed through skin, and pose powerful hormonal or estrogenic effects even at very low concentrations.