One of my selfish reasons for starting a pod? Getting girls to understand their bodies on a deeper level from highly vetted sources, especially when it comes to menopause.

Does anyone else feel like menopause is this far off, mysterious thing? It is a phase for future Kelsy to handle… no need for current Kelsy to think about it. So false. This week, we sit down with Dr. O’Neill to chat about what we can start doing now to prepare for this major stage in our lives.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Emily Hilz, a PhD researcher, neuroscientist, and founder, who studies endocrine disruptors (think forever chemicals!) and their effects on our brains and bodies. She is the founder of endoscreen.org, a platform designed to help us understand the endocrine disruptors in our own make up and skincare products! In this time of “spring cleaning”, I felt like it was the perfect time to showcase her recommendations on how we can approach the toxicity within our own environments!

What led you to becoming a PhD Neuroscientist and choosing your particular field of research?

I always knew I was going to go to graduate school, but I had no idea I would pursue a PhD. I wanted to study Psychology, took some behavior analysis classes as an elective, and fell in love. I started getting involved in research and realized I thought the questions being asked in Neuroscience using animal models and behavioral principles were really interesting. At the time I was an undergraduate research assistant, my supervisor was studying antipsychotics in male and female rats and showing that the effects of the drugs differed depending on where in the hormonal cycle the female was. That’s where I came into contact with the idea that many drugs are prescribed based on studies using only males. From there it was a natural evolution for me - trying to understand the female brain in a hormonal context and its unique contributions to cognition.

What is one of your favorite parts of your research and what you do day-to-day?

I love the variability of it. Some weeks I’m in the lab a lot, extracting RNA from tissues or working with animals and watching them learn to perform complex tasks. Other times I am writing and dreaming up interesting questions to ask. Maybe I’m finding new ways to analyze data - and that’s always so exciting, seeing the results of a long project. 

How has your day-to-day life changed since going into this field? (Especially in regards to how you shop for products or work to minimize exposure in your own environment?)

I’m a lot more cognizant of the products I use and what is in them. I’ve removed a lot of fragranced products from my daily routine and switched to glass tupperware. I got rid of my nonstick pans. It has been slow and subtle lifestyle changes, but it feels good to know I’m taking care of myself.

What was the inspiration for endoscreen.org, and how do you use it in your life? 

When I began working in the EDC field, I was really shocked by how much evidence was out there for the harmful effects of small chemical exposures. That’s how hormones work - it’s called a non-monotonic dose-response and what it means is that “more” doesn’t necessarily equal “worse”. In some cases, you’ll see the strongest effects of a hormone (or a chemical that mimics one) at its lowest dose. And I was upset that I, a person with a PhD, had never really heard about these super prevalent chemicals. If I hadn’t heard about it then I felt confident many people hadn’t. At a conference, I attended a presentation where some researchers asked participants to take pictures of their skin and haircare products, and the researchers used that to get an idea of what the participants were being exposed to. I thought to myself, “Hey, this is something we could automate and allow people to scan their own products in real time to know what is in them.” I had some friends in software development, pitched them the idea, and we planned to just do it as a fun project. While we were working on it I found the HHS Award that was looking to fund innovative tools to increase awareness about EDCs. I applied - never thinking we’d win - and the rest is history. We’ve won the award twice now and are working on a new and improved app - one you can download on your phone and use to search products and see both their long-term contribution to your EDC exposure, as well as explore alternatives. It’s hard work, but rewarding. 

What are some of the top EDCs we should look for in our products/environment?

Bisphenols and phthalates, as well as perfluorinated chemicals (‘forever chemicals’, PFAS). These are tricky chemicals, as they have many different compositions. So while a product may be labeled ‘BPA-free’, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bisphenol-free. It may have BPS or BPF - and more and more research is proving those chemicals are also harmful. The same is true for phthalates and PFAS. 

What are your top 3-5 tips to minimize EDC exposure in our everyday lives?

Use fragrance-free products, move away from plastics and avoid heating the plastics you do use, ditch the non-stick pans and plastic cutting boards, dust frequently. 

How would you recommend we apply your research to the next generation? Anything you would recommend when it comes to behaviors, teachings, etc. that we could give our children, nieces, and nephews to help improve our inter-generational endocrine and nervous systems as a whole? 

Probably trying to help children understand “sensitive periods of development”, and how exposure to chemicals across the spectrum in that time period can completely rewrite the way their brains work. Easier said than done! That applies to smoking and drinking as well as personal care. I see really young kids with multi-step skincare routines, and while I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, I worry that they’re using products that might have EDCs at a high rate during a period when they are most sensitive to these chemicals. It’s cultural; but at the same time, our cultural awareness about chemical contaminants is improving and a lot of kids are “opting out”. Encourage thoughtful consumption, I suppose.

Are there any brands you love and feel are “doing it right” when it comes to limiting EDC exposure, whether cleaning, cooking, hygiene, etc.? 

HEB! The HEB-brand personal care products are great, and they’ve removed bisphenols from the food packaging too. (For those gals in Texas!)

CHECK OUT OUR FULL VIDEO CONVERSATION TOGETHER →

We just got back from the most wonderful two week trip bopping around Seoul, Tokyo, and Kyoto. Here are the inspirations I’m bringing home with me from cultures marked by hospitality, beauty + skincare innovation, and the seamless blend of modernity with tradition: