Oils In shampoos, Lotions Linked To Breast Growth In Boys

Young boys who use shampoos and lotions containing essential oils like lavender and tea tree oils may end up with enlarged breasts.

This shocking side effect was reported by researchers at the University of Colorado and the environmental health branch of the US National Institutes of Health in ...Young boys who use shampoos and lotions containing essential oils like lavender and tea tree oils may end up with enlarged breasts.

This shocking side effect was reported by researchers at the University of Colorado and the environmental health branch of the US National Institutes of Health in the New England journal of Medicine.

The strange condition known as gynecomastia was observed in three boys aged 4, 7, and 10 who developed enlarged breasts after using skin lotions, hair gel, shampoo, and soap containing the natural oils.

“These plant oils, sometimes called ‘essential oils,’ are added to many health-care products, usually for their scent. The oils are sometimes found in other household products or sold in purer forms. Tea tree oil is sometimes used in shampoos for head lice,” revealed Jeff Donn of the Associated Press.

“The three boys were brought to their doctors with overdeveloped breasts that looked like those of girls in early puberty. They were sore in one case. For each boy, doctors could tie the problem only to their use over several months of the natural-oil products,” Donn added.

It wasn’t clear how the oils led to this problem but researchers suspect they contained chemicals that affected the boys’ hormonal balance. They appear to mimic estrogen, the female hormone that promotes breast growth.

The oils are believed to have affected young girls in the same way, including a 17-month-old child whose parents used a lavender soap to wash her feeding bottle, according to Dr. Clifford Bloch, a hormone specialist in Greenwood Village, Colorado, who treated the patients.

“Be cautious. I would not give these products to my children," Bloch said.

“On product labels, the oils sometimes are listed by their scientific names: Lavandula angustifolia (lavender oil) and Melaleuca alte
ifolia (tea tree oil). Such products do not require government approval to be sold unless they make specific health claims,” Donn revealed.

None of the researchers, however, called for a ban of these products, considering that the problem is rare and clears up when they are no longer used. However, they did advise parents to consider the risks of using such products.

As we wait for more developments in this area, it’s best to use other products in the meantime, especially since the long term effects of the above essentials oils remain unknown. For those considering breast augmentation, play safe by using the Clevastin Natural Breast Enlargement System. This product contains natural plant estrogens that will tighten and improve your breasts. Check out http://tinyurl.com/8jkw6ma for more information.