Unfortunately, most detergents are full of estrogenic chemicals. These synthetic chemicals damage your body and your hormones. It’s important for both men and women to use a laundry detergent without endocrine disruptors. These are our best recommendations. There’s more detailed info below.

Why it’s so important to get laundry detergents without endocrine disruptors
The detergent residue gets into the clothes, and this absorbs through the skin. Skin absorption is very potent!
“Xenoestrogens absorbed by the skin are ten times more potent than those taken orally, because they travel directly to the tissues instead of passing through the liver” and “Many household cleaners contain xenoestrogens. Particularly dangerous are laundry detergents and fabric softeners, because residues on clothing, towels, and other items are worn against the skin. “ (source)
Endocrine disruptors found in other laundry detergents
We researched our list above to make sure it only contains laundry detergents that have no xenoestrogens or any of the endocrine disruptor chemicals below. Here are some of the anti-testosterone or estrogenic chemicals that can be found in other laundry detergents.
Phthalates – Just as bad as you thought
Phthalates are potent endocrine disruptors. They are anti-androgenic (so they likely lower testosterone), and they mess up the thyroid as well. (Source)
Phthalates include DEHP, DiNP, DBP, DiBP, BBP, DPP, DnHP, and DnOP. If you want a laundry detergent without phthalates, you need to get one with none of these. Our recommendations are free from all these phtalates.
Phenols, including BPA
These three chemicals are all phenols, a type of chemical that is often in laundry detergents.
- BPA
- TBBPA
- Nonylphenol
Phenols are xenoestrogens. That means that these synthetic chemicals will have artificial estrogenic effects in the body, which causes all kinds of trouble. In men, one danger of this is low testosterone. In women, another danger is breast cancer. (Source)
The laundry detergents above have no BPA, nonylphenol, or other phenols. So don’t worry!
PFAS in laundry detergents
PFAS can be found in laundry detergents. Two common PFAS are the following:
- PFOA
- PFOS
These PFAS are not in the laundry detergents we have listed.
D4 (last but not least!)
D4, or Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, is a chemical that can be found in laundry detergent, but not in the ones we like!