19/06/2026
In my book I speak about the effects of environmental chemicals on our health and how these affect fertility outcomes.
The self-assessment section lists many commonly used personal care items - the following article may be of interest and also highlight how important it is to read the ingredients list on everything you consume, apply to your body or use in your home.
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Two cancer stories about L'Oréal-owned products are circulating right now. Both have been everywhere on social media. One deserves your attention. One has been almost entirely overstated. The difference between them is exactly why this newsletter exists.
The first story is real. The National Institutes of Health Sister Study, which tracked 33 947 women over 11 years, found that women who used chemical hair relaxers more than four times a year were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer. Long-term users also showed elevated rates of thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer. The chemicals at the centre of the lawsuits, phthalates, parabens and formaldehyde, are well-documented endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. Phthalates often hide on labels under the word 'fragrance.' Formaldehyde is a confirmed human carcinogen. The chemicals enter the bloodstream directly through the chemical burns that relaxers commonly cause on the scalp.
Over 11 000 lawsuits have now been filed. L'Oréal is the primary named defendant. L'Oréal owns the dominant US relaxer brands, Dark and Lovely, Optimum, and Mizani. The same brands are widely sold in South Africa, through Clicks, Dis-Chem and Shoprite. There is no trial date until 2027. There has been no settlement. There is no warning label. The products are still on shelves today and this story is barely covered by major media.
The second story is the one your feed has probably been screaming at you. CeraVe is being sued for cancer-causing chemicals. The products are dangerous. The brand is being pulled off the market. None of this is quite what it appears.
What is actually happening: L'Oréal, which also owns CeraVe, faces six US class action lawsuits over two specific CeraVe acne products that contain benzoyl peroxide. The concern is that benzoyl peroxide can degrade into benzene, a known carcinogen, at body temperature or higher. Independent laboratory Valisure published the findings in March 2024. When the US FDA tested 95 acne products in response, more than 90% had undetectable or very low benzene levels. The FDA did recall six specific acne products. None of them were CeraVe. The standard CeraVe products, the moisturisers, the hydrating cleanser, the baby products, contain no benzoyl peroxide and have nothing to do with the benzene story. The FDA also concluded that even daily use of the affected products for decades would add only a small increment to lifetime cancer risk.
CeraVe has not been pulled from any market, in the US or in South Africa. The viral version of this story is much more dramatic than the actual evidence behind it.
So here are two stories about the same parent company. One is genuinely serious and underreported. The other has been turned into something it is not by social media.
Our work, every single day, is to read the actual studies, check the dates, find what mainstream media is missing, and tell you the difference between what is being shouted at you and what is actually true. We look at the viral video that is supposed to be lapped up as fact, and we ask whether the underlying paper is from 2024 or from 1994. We read past the breaking news framing on stories that turn out to be old in vitro experiments rebranded as new discoveries. We do the slow work of distinguishing genuine consumer protection journalism from clickbait designed to drive engagement.
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