# Lavender not good for boys (shampoo)?



## SoSoapy (Mar 5, 2012)

I just read this article about English Lavender from the University of Arkansas:

Here's a portion of it:


Lavender has long been a part of the herbal scene and is gaining new advocates as “aromatherapy” increases in popularity. Lavender oil is commercially extracted from this species and L. x intermedia, the French lavender. Oils are used as an ingredient for scenting everything from perfumes to shampoos and soaps. About 60 pounds of flowers are needed to produce one pound of lavender oil. Dried lavender flowers are widely used in sachets and potpourris.

In the past couple years, a medical controversy has arisen concerning the use of lavender oil in scenting over the counter products, especially shampoos. Preliminary research, based on

Petri dish studies, suggests lavender oil mimics the activity of estrogen and inhibits the activity of androgens, the male hormone. A group of 5- to 8-year-old boys with enlarged breasts were all found to all be using a shampoo scented with lavender oil. When they were switched to a different shampoo their condition returned to normal.


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## rileylite (Mar 5, 2012)

That's very strange, but very good to know. Stuff like this is why I always tell people kids shouldn't use EO soaps, I feel like they can affect a lot of hormones in the body, which is much more dangerous as a child.


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## dagmar88 (Mar 5, 2012)

SoSoapy said:
			
		

> A group of 5- to 8-year-old boys with enlarged breasts were all found to all be using a shampoo scented with lavender oil. When they were switched to a different shampoo their condition returned to normal.



Now that's a bit too coincidental


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## judymoody (Mar 5, 2012)

I read elsewhere that this study was based on flawed methodology and the results, therefore, were not conclusive.  But I didn't delve further.

There might have been some other ingredient in the suspect shampoo that was an estrogen mimicker.


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## maya (Mar 5, 2012)

what judy said. it's based on flawed methodology. i had a big post on it but can't find it right now. i'll look around and post it.


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## SoSoapy (Mar 5, 2012)

> what judy said. it's based on flawed methodology. i had a big post on it but can't find it right now. i'll look around and post it.



WHEW! 

Thanks! I'm glad to hear that! I thought it sounded wrong but wondered if anyone else had thoughts.


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## Maythorn (Mar 5, 2012)

I'd heard this story too.  It's unfortunate that my older sister can't just use lavender on herself instead of taking estrogen pills.


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## agriffin (Mar 5, 2012)

Here's an article that Robert Tisserand did on the subject.  He also talked about it at the last HSMG conference. 

http://roberttisserand.com/articles/Tea ... mastia.pdf


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## Tabitha (Mar 5, 2012)

If that were true, it would be marketed as a breast enhanser .


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## SoSoapy (Mar 6, 2012)

You ladies are hilarious! thanks for the laughs!


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## Hazel (Mar 6, 2012)

Too bad there isn't an EO that would reduce my bottom. I'd buy the largest size I could find.


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## maya (Mar 6, 2012)

i would do reduction all over my 'i had a baby' stomach (okay, baby is 16 years old but whatever.)


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## EnchantedSoaps (Mar 10, 2012)

It probably had more to do with the boy's diets than with their shampoo! Eating commercially raised cattle and poultry can give anyone (male or female) an estrogen overdose because they inject them with it almost daily and it gets stuck in the meat. Little girls used to have their periods at like 13-16, now they get it as young as 7 and it's because of the meat and dairy products having so much estrogen in them. Probably had nothing to do with lavendar at all.


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