Did you know that toiletry ingredients have been linked to testicular cancer and a decline in male fertility?

These chemicals belong to a family known as the parabens. Parabens are used to preserve toiletries, most commonly skin creams, conditioners, shampoos, shaving creams and personal lubricants.

The problem with parabens is their ability to mimic the female hormone oestrogen, it's this mimicking that has some doctors worried and has led to the chemicals being nicknamed the "gender-benders".

Recent studies have linked parabens to a 42% decline in male fertility over the last 50 years. The controversy doesn't end there, other studies have found high concentrations of parabens in breast tumours and yet more have linked gender-bending chemicals to the 80% rise in testicular cancer between the 1970's and 1990's.

Related Articles:

• BBC News: Toiletries 'feminise' men
• New Scientist: Cosmetic Chemicals Found in Breast Tumours
• BBC News: Chemicals Suspected in Testicular Cancer Increase