ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS

They can cause chaos in our bodies, but just what are endocrine disruptors? How do they affect us, and can we stop these chemicals getting under our skin?

- SALLY HUNWICK

These days, more of us are seeking clean skincare – and in turn many beauty brands are working to provide formulations devoid of toxins. So, what are the rogue chemicals lurking in our creams – and why do we care? Research suggests they could be interrupting the system that manages our hormones: the endocrine. Accountable for things like fertility, weight and mood, the finely tuned endocrine system can be sent out of whack by chemicals found in everything from drinking bottles and saucepans to skincare, furniture and food.

New Zealand beauty entrepreneur Tanné Snowden knows firsthand the potential pitfalls of hidden chemicals. She faced fertility and health issues including ovarian cysts, stage 4 endometriosis and a colon obstruction. Could the skincare she'd been using have been in any way responsible?

"As a former beauty junkie, I had been lavishing my skin with luxury products that I thought were among the best on the market," says Snowden. "But after educating myself about ingredients, I discovered just how toxic many were – and I had been putting them on my skin for years."

Snowden purged her bathroom cabinet. "After discarding 53 products that I used daily from head to toe, I was left with only three that I felt safe using. It was a sobering moment."

The seed was planted to create Tronque, a body care line that uses nontoxic, minimally processed, plant-based organic ingredients, and was initially designed to help reduce the look of Snowden's surgical scars and support her skin and overall health.