Cosmetic Ingredient Awareness: phthalate

Mar 29, 2011

Krystal C.

I have been using Barista Bath & Body's Triple Shot 3-in-1 Coffee Shower Gel for a few weeks, and while I was filming my Hautelook Haul video, I noticed the bottle says "phthalate free". And in my moment of mispronunciation, I admitted I didn't know what phthalates were and began my research to find out what this ingredient is and how is it harmful enough to be advertised as non existent in my shower gel.
First off.. phthalate is pronounced as thal-ate :)
Second.. Here's the first line found on Wikipedia:
Phthalates, or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity). They are used primarily to soften polyvinyl chloride. Phthalates are being phased out of many products in the United States, Canada, and European Union over health concerns.
My reaction.. wth is this doing in cosmetic products?!?!
On to the top facts about phthalates, I found these to be very interesting and I think everyone should at least familiarize themselves with this ingredient, even if you're not a label reader.

Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, from enteric coatings of pharmaceutical pills and nutritional supplements to viscosity control agents, gelling agents, film formers, stabilizers, dispersants, lubricants, binders, emulsifying agents, and suspending agents.
Personal-care items containing phthalates include perfume, eye shadow, moisturizer, nail polish, liquid soap, and hair spray.
Body-care products containing phthalates are a source of exposure for infants. The authors of a 2008 study "observed that reported use of infant lotion, infant powder, and infant shampoo were associated with increased infant urine concentrations of [phthalate metabolites], and this association is strongest in younger infants. These findings suggest that dermal exposures may contribute significantly to phthalate body burden in this population." Though they did not examine health outcomes, they noted that "Young infants are more vulnerable to the potential adverse effects of phthalates given their increased dosage per unit body surface area, metabolic capabilities, and developing endocrine and reproductive systems."
(courtesy of Wikipedia)

Although most phthalates make vinyl flexible for a wide variety of uses, a few phthalates are, or have been, used in personal care products, such as perfumes, lotions, and nail polish. Recent media reports have erroneously suggested that the use of these products results in unsafe exposures to phthalates. In fact, the level of phthalates in cosmetics and other products is quite small (2 percent or less of the product). An extensive review of the scientific literature by an expert panel of the Cosmetics Ingredient Review, comprised of seven dermatologists and toxicologists, plus representatives of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), declared the phthalates “safe as used” in personal care products.
Like all of the phthalates on the market today, those phthalates used in personal care products do not build up in the body, but break down within minutes and are quickly eliminated from the body.
DEP, or diethyl phthalate, is the most common of the phthalates used in personal care products. DEP is a clear liquid with no or little odor. It is the lightest in weight of the commonly used phthalates, and is sometimes used in cosmetics, air fresheners, and other products to make fragrances last longer -- typically at concentrations of less than 2 percent of the total product. Since fragrances are often complex combination of natural and man-made substances, manufacturers are not required to list each individual ingredient in a fragrance. Like all other ingredients used in cosmetic and personal care products, fragrances are regulated by the federal FDA and thoroughly evaluated for safety prior to use in marketed products.
DBP, dibutyl phthalate, has been used in nail polish to make it both flexible and resistant to chipping. Restrictions on its use in nail polish and other cosmetics in Europe have caused most manufacturers to eliminate the use of DBP in nail products. Numerous reviews in the United States and Europe suggest, however, that exposure to DBP through regular use of nail polish products poses little or no risk to humans.
(courtesy of American Chemistry)

They are used primarily at concentrations of less than 10% as plasticizers in products such as nail polishes (to reduce cracking by making them less brittle) and hair sprays (to help avoid stiffness by allowing them to form a flexible film on the hair) and as solvents and perfume fixatives in various other products.
(courtesy of FDA)
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