Hidden chemicals lurking in 85% of personal-care products like shampoo and soap: study

Nypost · Aug 12, 2026 · 668 words · By Allie Yang

Consumer Safety Corporate Transparency Regulatory Gaps

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What to know about Consumer Safety

Hidden chemicals lurking in 85% of personal-care products like shampoo and soap: study See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Hidden chemicals lurking in 85% of personal-care products like shampoo and soap: study See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google It’s good practice to check the label on products you put on your body.

Common ground

But what if the label doesn’t tell the whole story?

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Consumer Safety story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Of the products they tested, 85% had at least one chemical that can harm your health?
How does this story connect Consumer Safety with Corporate Transparency over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/12/health/hidden-chemicals-in-85-of-personal-care-pro…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 80% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

schedule Pending 5

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

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Claim 1: “Of the products they tested, 85% had at least one chemical that can harm your health”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that 85% of the tested products contained at least one undisclosed chemical with known or suspected health hazards.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Feminine hygiene products are personal care products used for women's hygiene during menstruation, vaginal discharge, or other bodily functions related to the vulva and vagina. Products that are used …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminine_hygiene

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gender-based price discrimination is a form of economic discrimination that involves price disparities for identical goods or services based on an individual's gender, and may reinforce negative stere…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender-based_price_discriminat…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Unilever Israel (Hebrew: יוניליוור ישראל) is an Israeli subsidiary of the British multinational company Unilever. As of 2022, it is the sixth-largest consumer goods company in Israel. The company mark…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unilever_Israel

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “26% of products specifically labeled “non-toxic,” “fragrance-free” or “hypoallergenic” actually contained the very things they claimed to avoid.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general study is mentioned in other sources, the specific 26% figure regarding 'non-toxic' or 'fragrance-free' labels is not explicitly corroborated in the provided evidence snippets, which focus more on the 98% and 85% figures.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived fro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmetics

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. Born in New York City, she is a great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Hilton

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A tampon is a menstrual product designed to absorb blood and vaginal secretions by insertion into the vagina during menstruation. Unlike a pad, it is placed internally, inside of the vaginal canal. On…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampon

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “there was only one category that passed testing with flying colors: oral care.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “Each label listed 16 ingredients on average. Testing revealed the actual average number of chemicals in each product was 51”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources explicitly state that products contained an average of 51 detected chemicals compared to an average of 16 listed ingredients.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is the definite article in English. The, or THE, may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_(disambiguation)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Impossible (Spanish: Lo imposible) is a 2012 English-language Spanish biographical disaster drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez. It’s based on the experience of Ma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Impossible_(2012_film)

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 5: “Parabens are used in cosmetics to prevent mold and bacteria, but there are concerns these chemicals could disrupt hormones, harm fertility, affect birth outcomes and increase the risk of cancer.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim in the search results.

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Claim 6: “The second most common were products that contained specific chemicals or chemical classes that were labeled as excluded from the product, including “fragrance,” phthalates, parabens, silicone and oxybenzone.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “Most commonly, products said they were “100% natural” but contained synthetic chemicals”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 8: “Phthalates are used to make soft plastic and have been shown to have impacts on pregnancy, child growth and development.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim in the search results.

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Claim 9: “Researchers tested 113 products from major stores like Target, Amazon, Walmart and Dollar Tree.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results confirm the researchers tested 113 personal care and cleaning products. While the specific store list (Target, Amazon, Walmart, Dollar Tree) is not fully listed in the snippets, the sample size of 113 is corroborated.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dog Jack is a 2010 American war drama film based on the book of the same name by Florence W. Biros. The film is inspired by the true story of the mascot of the 102nd Pennsylvania Regiment during the A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Jack

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The history of Target Corporation, an American general merchandise retailer, began in 1902 with George Dayton. The company was originally named Goodfellow Dry Goods in June 1902 before being renamed t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Target_Corporation

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Amazon.com, Inc. is an American conglomerate headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Founded by Jeff Bezos on July 5, 1994, as an online bookstore, Amazon went public after an initial public offering on…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitio…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “oral care products are regulated as over-the-counter drugs rather than cosmetics.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 11: “Researchers found 98% of personal care and cleaning products they tested had chemicals in them that weren’t disclosed.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results explicitly state that a study found 98% of personal care and cleaning products contained undisclosed chemicals.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A flashbulb memory is a vivid, long-lasting memory about a surprising or shocking event. The term flashbulb memory suggests the surprise, indiscriminate illumination, detail, and brevity of a photogra…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashbulb_memory

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Founding Fathers of the United States, referred to as the Founding Fathers or the Founders by Americans, were a group of late-eighteenth-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirt…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_Fathers_of_the_United…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The mirror test—sometimes called the mark test, mirror self-recognition (MSR) test, red spot technique, or rouge test—is a behavioral technique developed in 1970 by American psychologist Gordon Gallup…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_test

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 12: “some companies are getting away with things like adding allyl cyclohexylpropionate on purpose to coconut oil to enhance its scent — while leaving it off of product labels.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “Fragrance components can have a broad array of effects, from irritating the skin to harming the respiratory and endocrine system.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that fragrance components can cause skin irritation and respiratory issues.

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web search NEUTRAL — From causing skin cancer to skin irritation, redness, acne and more, toxic chemicals in skincare and makeup are one of the worst enemies of your skin. This is why you need to know what exactly those h…
https://skinkraft.com/blogs/articles/toxic-chemicals-in-cosm…

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web search NEUTRAL — Fragrance can cause skin irritation, including dryness and allergic reactions.Perfumes have the potential to cause skin side effects, especially for individuals with sensitive skin or specific sensiti…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/does-fragrance-cause-dry-ski…

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web search NEUTRAL — Test new fragrances on a small skin patch to check for any allergic reactions. While cologne adds a pleasant aroma, spraying it directly on your neck may expose you to skin irritation, sun damage, res…
https://www.bona.co.za/health-wellness/why-applying-cologne-…

info

Claim 14: “Botanical ingredients... can cause allergic reactions, irritation and authors also say they can introduce things like pesticides, heavy metals or solvents.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this claim consists of general definitions of botany and botanical gardens, but does not address the specific claim regarding allergic reactions, pesticides, or heavy metals in botanical ingredients.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology that studies the growth, reproduction and evolution of plants over the last 3.5 billion years of life on earth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botany

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web search NEUTRAL — Botanical gardens are often run by universities or other scientific research organizations, and usually have associated herbaria and research programmes in plant taxonomy or some other aspect of botan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botanical_garden

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web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · The meaning of BOTANICAL is of or relating to plants or botany. How to use botanical in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/botanical

info

Claim 15: “On average, there were four unlisted harmful chemicals per product.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence confirms the 51 vs 16 average, but the specific claim that there were 'four unlisted harmful chemicals per product' on average is not explicitly stated in the evidence snippets.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — On average, each product contained 51 detected chemicals, more than three times the average of 16 ingredients listed on the label.Undisclosed harmful chemicals were found across product categories, pr…
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-everyday-personal-pro…

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web search NEUTRAL — On average, each product contained 51 detected chemicals, more than three times the average of 16 ingredients listed on the label. Overall, 98% of products contained at least one unlabeled chemical, a…
https://theheartysoul.com/undisclosed-chemicals-personal-car…

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web search NEUTRAL — They discovered that the products contained an average of 51 chemicals.None of the oral care products tested, meanwhile, had sufficient harmful chemicals to warrant a 'fail' rating. The Daily Mail has…
https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-16041967/Scien…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.