Combing through 10,000 compounds in a library of licensed pharmaceuticals, environmental chemicals and dietary supplements, the researchers found several that might influence the timing of puberty. But children were most likely to be exposed to only one of them: musk ambrette, according to the report, published in Endocrinology.

Musk ambrette, a synthetic form of the fragrance, could latch onto a puberty-related receptor in the hypothalamus, which would lead to the release of GnRH, a hormone involved in the maturation of sexual organs and the production of estrogen, testosterone and progesterone.

Musk ambrette is widely used in inexpensive or counterfeit fragrances and other scented personal care products, Shaw said. But it has also turned up in surveys of wastewater and in the bodies of freshwater fish, the researchers noted.

From this NBC article – https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/early-puberty-may-linked-common-chemical-used-personal-care-products-rcna169967