Researchers at Rutgers University have found that skin moisturizers caused skin cancers to spread and tumors to grow in a recent study conducted on mice. For this study, mice with skin cancer were applied with moisturizer five days a week for 17 weeks. Researchers noticed an increased rate of tumor formation, as well as a greater number of tumors on these mice than those mice not treated with moisturizers.
Published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, this study was not able to determine what ingredients in the moisturizers are to blame for the negative reaction, but they assume that manufacturers should be able to remove these harmful elements from their products.
Whether or not moisturizers has the same effect on humans has yet to be determined, but this study has certainly illustrated a need for further research.
