While carcinogenic contaminants are the primary concern, PEG compounds themselves show some evidence of genotoxicity vi,vii and if used on broken skin can cause irritation and systemic toxicity.
The average age of menopause in the United States is about 51. About one out of twenty women have late menopause (after age 55) while another 5% stop having periods between the ages of 40 and 45 (early menopause). The age of menopause is reduced by two years in women who smoke.
In my early 40s, I began to read about perimenopause, which is the five- to 10-year period that leads up to menopause. Perimenopausal hormone fluctuations can begin as early as the late 30s and continue until the final menstrual period at approximately age 50, according to Healthy Women, a nonprofit organization.