Volatile methylsiloxanes in beauty and personal care products sold in India and human exposure assessment.

Summary

Analyzing 174 personal care products in India, the authors detected volatile methylsiloxanes in all samples, with detection frequencies ranging from 20% to 99%. Cyclic species, especially D5 and D6, predominated, and total cyclic concentrations reached as high as 773,000 μg g. These data provide a substantial exposure-relevant dataset for regulators and formulators.

Key Findings

• Volatile methylsiloxanes were detected in all 174 Indian personal care products tested, with detection frequencies from 20% to 99%.
• Cyclic VMS, especially D5 (decamethylcyclopentasiloxane) and D6 (dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane), predominated across samples.
• Total cyclic siloxane concentrations reached as high as 773,000 μg g in some products.

Clinical Implications

While not a clinical trial, these findings support clinician counseling on product selection for environmentally conscious or sensitive patients and underscore the need for policy-driven exposure reduction.

Limitations

• Abstract does not report biomonitoring data or detailed human exposure estimates.
• Cross-sectional product survey limited to the Indian market; health outcomes not assessed.

Future Directions

Link product concentrations to modeled and biomonitored human exposures; evaluate health and environmental outcomes; assess effectiveness of regulatory limits in reducing VMS burden.