(NBC News) – Researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences identified a compound that affects an area of the brain that triggers hormone production.

The age when girls hit puberty has been falling at an alarming rate for decades, and scientists have struggled to explain why. New research suggests a compound found in a wide variety of products — from cosmetics to air fresheners to detergents and soaps — may send a signal to an area of the brain that triggers the start of puberty. (Read More)