Lavender warning!

I saw an item in the news section of Men's Health this month, and googled up some more information on it.

According to doctors at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (located right here in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina) applying products containing lavender or tea tree oil to your skin can increase levels of estrogen and decrease levels of testosterone.

In the Feb. 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, they reported three cases in which young boys began to develop breasts. In all three cases, the boys were using products that contained lavender and tea tree oil. All three boys returned to normal when they stopped using those products.

Additional tests in laboratory cell cultures confirmed that lavender and tea tree oil "had estrogenic and antiandrogenic activities." That means they increased estrogen production and decreased testosterone.

I've been using Suave Lavender and Lilac shampoo and conditioner for a couple of years; I'm going to WalMart tonight to buy something without lavender in it!

(At the risk of TMI: I've had some issues that I thought were just a part of getting older. I'll be very impressed if changing my shampoo and conditioner makes those issues go away!)

I think that was found to happen only in young boys. I read nothing about once a young man is out of the puberty age range so you might be fine.

Considering the plethora of lavender products that have been used throughout the world without issue, and based on the results of only 1 study, I'd be hesitant to write off your favorite lavender products permanently.

However, if you have issues you're concerned with, a home test is not a bad thing either.

:eek: I've got a lavender soap sample on the way. I'm just 18. I can't handle this kind of pressure! :cry:

Ah well. I'm not so positive it works that way. To begin developing breasts then... stop developing breasts once you stop using lavender products? Maybe the boys were just gaining a little weight? All too little evidence to suggest much.

If my voice starts breaking again and I noticeably stop growing as much facial hair as I do now, we'll know something is up. I dedicate myself to science! :tu

Might be good for anyone with a heavy beard...lighten up hair a bit:tu

I think x-man already talked about this one before. Us grown adults should be fine for the most part.

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Originally Posted by jimmyman

I think x-man already talked about this one before. Us grown adults should be fine for the most part.

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There was a whole thread about this "study" before. I just can't seem to locate it to link to it. If you can, that would be appreciated.

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Originally Posted by SailorSam

... in which young boys began to develop breasts. In all three cases, the boys were using products that contained lavender and tea tree oil. All three boys returned to normal when they stopped using those products.

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So let me get this right... you develop breasts and then, when you're bored of them and your curiosity is satiated, you can stop and have them return to pecs?

Where's that CastleForbes link ... :w

Obligatory. Sorry Phil.

Ok, not really sorry. He has firmed up a bit lately.

J.

Here's the PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum

It is all about topical application in prepubertal boys.

Application according to the Oxford Dictonary is applying of ointment to the skin.

Quite different from lavender scented shaving cream that is removed shortly after "application". Might apply to lavender scented A/S.

Prepubertal boys have low estrogen and testosterone levels. Smaller amounts of estrogen will more easily cause a disbalance in estrogen/testosterone balance than in (post)pubertal men who shave.

This is a typical example of journalists distorting the original story in order to fill their papers/newsbulletins etc.

Well, that would explain why I went up a bra size! :thinking:

C utz

Pretty boy!:D

Soon you guys will be talking about straight shaving your chests:eek: :eek:

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Originally Posted by RichZ

Soon you guys will be talking about straight shaving your chests:eek: :eek:

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Wait...you mean there are people who don't :confused:

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Originally Posted by steve

Wait...you mean there are people who don't :confused:

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Listen I'll read about the chest shaving but if they get into shaving their butts I'm gone...:roflmao

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Originally Posted by RichZ

Listen I'll read about the chest shaving but if they get into shaving their butts I'm gone...:roflmao

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I'll be right next to you too :roflmao

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Originally Posted by RichZ

... but if they get into shaving their butts I'm gone...:roflmao

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you mean there are people who... um, nevermind :roflmao

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Originally Posted by steve

Wait...you mean there are people who don't :confused:

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OK - I hope I'm stating the obvious here but this WAS meant as a joke.

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Originally Posted by steve

OK - I hope I'm stating the obvious here but this WAS meant as a joke.

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not that there's anything wrong with it :D

Cheers
Ivo

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Originally Posted by RichZ

Soon you guys will be talking about straight shaving your chests:eek: :eek:

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Don't you mean breasts?
This IS about the lavender/Tea tree oil issue.....

:p

C utz

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Originally Posted by steve

I'll be right next to you too :roflmao

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I'm just glad you didn't say behind..:roflmao

It seem the knock on lavender is the estrogen in it ... here's a bit of info from Men's Health about the damage soy estrogen can do to your brain ... so maybe we're looking at the same affect for us older guys.
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/articl...bd2010cfe793cd____

Worth considering.

Of course, if you're like me and have a few dozen soaps and creams, adding a lavender into the mix probably won't affect your health or make other guys want to look down your shirt at the upcoming convention. :y

Well my girl hates lavender and really lays into me if I get any girly smelling products. The "well I do shave with a straight razor" is not manly enough to get past the "you're as bad as a woman with these scents and creams" ahh equality

Though I might consider the tea tree oil to lower the testosterone and give my prostrate a break and keep them from coming after my nuts in later years.

Your mention of 'prostrate issues' and the tea tree oil seems to work with the soy estrogen problem mentioned above....

I've heard doctors recommend drinking soy milk as a preventative (sp?) for prostate cancer :shrug:

And, I've noticed that fragrant smells do seem to trump the masculinaty of the straight razor...After shaving I would get, "Boy, you sure smell pretty!" :rant:
C utz

Just read the Men's Health article, and there are some interesting findings there. But, the main thing I got from it, is just like anything, everything in moderation. A little bit of soy, or lavender will probably do no harm to you.

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Originally Posted by Doc4

It seem the knock on lavender is the estrogen in it ... here's a bit of info from Men's Health about the damage soy estrogen can do to your brain ... so maybe we're looking at the same affect for us older guys.
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/articl...bd2010cfe793cd____

Worth considering.

Of course, if you're like me and have a few dozen soaps and creams, adding a lavender into the mix probably won't affect your health or make other guys want to look down your shirt at the upcoming convention. :y

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Looking at your avatar I can't help wondering how much lavender you swallowed in your younger years Doc4 :roflmao :roflmao

If it weren't for minor study findings that they can blow out of proportion, Men's Health (and all the other health rags) wouldn't have much to publish. Have any of those "Abs in 6 weeks" things worked for you? Didn't think so. :roflmao

- Scott

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Originally Posted by Creel

Well my girl hates lavender and really lays into me if I get any girly smelling products. The "well I do shave with a straight razor" is not manly enough to get past the "you're as bad as a woman with these scents and creams" ahh equality

Though I might consider the tea tree oil to lower the testosterone and give my prostrate a break and keep them from coming after my nuts in later years.

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Seems to me that you might want to slip your girl some of that lavender and Tree tea oil stuff to tame her testosterone levels a little. :roflmao

Just kidding... :y Couldn't resist... :roflmao