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So far in our series on harmful cosmetic ingredients we have covered parabens<\/a>.\u00a0 This week we are talking phthalates.<\/p>\n Phthalates are plasticizers used in everything from children\u2019s toys to cosmetics.\u00a0 When used in toys and other vinyl plastics these chemicals add flexibility and durability.\u00a0 Phthalates are used in cosmetics and other household items (laundry detergent, cleaning products, air fresheners) to hold scent and color.<\/p>\n Research has found phthalates to be hormone disruptors which can negatively affect fetal development, and are linked to asthma, skin irritation, and allergies.\u00a0 They are also associated with infertility and are considered a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization<\/a>.\u00a0 Recent studies have also found phthalates to have a possible link to ADHD.<\/p>\n The European Union has banned the use of phthalates in personal care products.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Phthalates are commonly found in nail polish, perfume, lotion, soap, facial cleanser, hair care, baby care, make up, and hair spray.\u00a0 To locate phthalates on cosmetic product labels look for; Benzylbutyl phthalate (BzBP), Di-n-butyl phthalate or Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Diethyl phthalate (DEP), fragrance, perfume, and parfum<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In cosmetics phthalates are commonly used as fragrance.\u00a0 If you see the term \u201cfragrance\u201d, \u201cperfume\u201d or \u201cparfum\u201d on a product label it should raise a red flag.\u00a0 I recently saw an air freshener commercial touting their product as \u201cMade with 100% fragrance\u201d.\u00a0 This does not mean it is made with naturally-sourced fragrance and is most likely synthetic fragrance, so this claim means absolutely nothing beneficial.<\/p>\n But not all fragrance is bad for you.\u00a0 Makers of safe, nontoxic cosmetics use natural essential oils to scent their products.\u00a0 The term \u201cfragrance\u201d is often used on safe products scented with essential oil combinations to guard against the company\u2019s trade secret formulation.\u00a0 Safe cosmetics manufacturers will note on the product label that the fragrance is an essential oil blend, even if they do not list exactly which oils were used.<\/p>\n A FDA trade secret loophole makes it possible for manufacturers of chemical beauty products to hide their use of phthalates under the term \u201cfragrance\u201d, not disclosing on the label that the product contains these toxic chemicals.\u00a0<\/p>\n This may make you think that going with unscented where available would solve the phthalate issue, right?\u00a0 Wrong.\u00a0 Often \u201cUnscented\u201d products contain another chemical to mask the smell of the chemical fragrance used.<\/p>\n To be sure your cosmetics are phthalate free check for the terms above on product labels.\u00a0 And if you see \u201cfragrance\u201d on the label look for a footnote explaining what type of fragrance was used (essential oil).\u00a0 If you see none, put it back on the shelf.<\/p>\n If you have any questions on phthalates, or any other cosmetic ingredient, please leave a comment below.<\/p>\n Image:\u00a0 Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What are phthalates?<\/h3>\n
Why avoid phthalates?<\/h3>\n
Which products contain phthalates?<\/h3>\n
How to avoid phthalates in cosmetics<\/h3>\n