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Changes in hormones, the body's powerful chemical messengers, affect our tissues at all ages. Most noticeably on the skin, changes during puberty can set off worrisome acne, while changes with menopause can lead to skin thinning, wrinkling, and loss of skin luster. While these problems can be addressed with cosmeceuticals that treat acne and dry skin, any efforts at true hormonal modulation cannot be accomplished by cosmetics but instead only by prescription medications (oral and topical) under the supervision of a physician.
Of course, steroid creams like hydrocortisone are available without prescription to treat mild allergic skin conditions but they should not be used for other purposes or for more than short periods.
Homeopathic preparations of progesterone, testosterone, and pregnenolone in cream form intended to improve on skin texture are available. Most likely, they have no biological activity but are still best avoided since any actual absorption might possibly lead to unintended disruption of the body's normal hormonal control.
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Some cosmetic manufacturers add plant compounds that may be chemical precursors of real hormones with a hint that some conversion to active compounds may occur. Whether that happen and what the net effect would be is unknown.
Of some worry is a recent study suggesting that the routine use of cosmetics in teens may have unknown hormone modulation effects at the very time when puberty is causing all sorts of delicate interactions. Sixteen compounds from four chemical families known to be able to disrupt hormone balance were detected in twenty teen girls. The chemical families included phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks, all common components of many facial cosmetics.
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