RESEARCH & EDUCATION
Three days.
Measurable results.
UC Berkeley researchers asked what happens to your body's chemical load when you swap everyday personal care products for cleaner alternatives. The answer changed how we think about daily routines — and why we built Hugh & Grace.
HERMOSA Study · Environmental Health Perspectives · Zota AR, Calafat AM, Woodruff TJ (2016) · doi:10.1289/ehp.1510514
reduction in phthalate exposure
in just 3 days
reduction in paraben levels
measured in urine samples
days to see significant change
not months, three days
WHAT THE HERMOSA STUDY FOUND
The research that proved small changes matter
The HERMOSA Study was conducted by UC Berkeley's Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health and published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Hermosa means "beautiful" in Spanish; the study focused on Latina adolescents, a population with historically elevated chemical exposure through personal care products marketed to their community.
Participants swapped their regular personal care products, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, makeup, for alternatives formulated without phthalates, parabens, triclosan, and oxybenzone. The swap lasted three days. Researchers measured urine samples before and after.
The results were unambiguous. Chemical levels dropped significantly within 72 hours of using different products, not after months of lifestyle changes, not after a medical detox protocol. Three days of different daily choices produced measurable biological change.
Why this matters: The body responds quickly when the inputs change. You are not locked into whatever exposure level you have today. The Hermosa Study proved that product substitution is one of the most accessible and direct levers you have over your chemical load.
THE CHEMICALS MEASURED
What was in the products, and what left the body
The study measured four categories of endocrine-disrupting chemicals commonly found in personal care products. Each is detectable in urine, which is how researchers tracked exposure before and after the product swap.
WHY THIS STUDY IS FOUNDATIONAL FOR HUGH & GRACE
The science behind the simple swap
When Ben and Sara Jensen founded Hugh & Grace, the founding insight came from their fertility physician, Dr. Mark Surrey of SCRC Beverly Hills. During Sara's sixth round of IVF, Dr. Surrey asked one question that changed everything: what skincare, homecare, and wellness products were they using? He explained that chemicals in those products could be absorbed through skin and affect hormonal function.
Having watched a prescribed hormone cream change Sara's blood levels overnight, the connection was immediate. The Hermosa Study later proved in a peer-reviewed academic setting exactly what Dr. Surrey described in that consultation: daily product choices are one of the most accessible and direct levers for hormone health.
"Our findings suggest that even short-term changes in product use can reduce exposure to several EDCs." — Zota AR et al.,Environmental Health Perspectives, 2016.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What people ask about this research
"Natural" and "clean" are not regulated terms, products carrying these labels may still contain phthalates, parabens, and synthetic fragrance. The Hermosa Study used products specifically formulated without the target chemicals. The key is the ingredient list, not the marketing language. Every Hugh & Grace product is formulated without hormone-disrupting chemicals because that commitment is the reason the company was founded.
For phthalates and parabens, yes, because they metabolize and exit the body relatively quickly rather than accumulating long-term in fatty tissue. The flip side is that daily re-exposure matters: if you return to products containing these chemicals, levels rise again. This is why daily product choices sustained over time are the most effective long-term lever for reducing your chemical load.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals interfere with the body's hormonal signaling system in several ways. Some mimic natural hormones, particularly estrogen. Some block hormone receptors. Some affect how hormones are produced or cleared. With consistent daily exposure, particularly during sensitive life stages like puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause, this interference is associated with infertility, thyroid dysfunction, PCOS, and metabolic disruption. The Endocrine Society estimates this cumulative exposure costs the US economy over 40 billion annually.
Zota AR, Calafat AM, Woodruff TJ. "Reducing phthalate, paraben, and phenol exposure from personal care products in adolescent girls: Findings from the HERMOSA Intervention Study."Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(10), 2016. DOI:10.1289/ehp.1510514
THE DAILY SWAPS THAT MOVE THE NUMBERS
Simple swaps. Real results.
Hugh & Grace was built to make the answer to "what do I use instead?" simple: products formulated to support hormone health across every category you already use daily.
- Body care: The Cleansing Bar and Body Oil are fragrance-free and formulated without parabens, phthalates, or synthetic preservatives.
- Hair care: Your Best Hair Day Shampoo and Conditioner are silicone-free, paraben-free, and hormone-supportive.
- Skincare: Face Serum, Night Serum, Body Polish, and Lip Mask are all formulated without EDCs.
- Home care: The Cleaning Concentrate uses coconut-derived, biodegradable ingredients without the EDC burden of conventional cleaners.
- Daily wellness: The Routine+ supports the body's hormone-regulating pathways from the inside out.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
Zota, A.R., Calafat, A.M., & Woodruff, T.J. (2016). Reducing phthalate, paraben, and phenol exposure from personal care products in adolescent girls: Findings from the HERMOSA Intervention Study.
Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(10), 1600-1607.doi:10.1289/ehp.1510514
Bloom, M.S. et al. (2024). Impact of skin care products on phthalates in children: the ECHO-FGS.Environmental Health Perspectives, 132(9).doi:10.1289/EHP13937 · Endocrine Society (2017). EDC exposure costs billions.
endocrine.org
WHO (2012). State of the science of endocrine disrupting chemicals.who.int