Phthalates: It’s Safety and Use in Bath & Body Products by Kathleen Hogg
Recently the CBC profiled a controversial study released regarding Phthalates in personal care products (shampoo, soaps, nail polish and lotions). Specifically, mentioning the release of Phthalates in urine of infants who had used baby care products containing Phthalates. So, in our commitment in providing you with products that are high in quality and low in additives, we researched both sides of the argument.
First, what are Phthalates? They are used in plastics, fragrances, acrylic nail polish and some medical supplies. It is there to stabilize the fragrances and make plastic flexible. You know the “New Car Smell”, that is the release of Phthalates from the plastic in the car.
The study mentioned in the CBC (refer to www.cbc.ca and search Phthalates) was conducted by SH Swan, F. Liu, and other researchers at the University of Washington (to read the entire study please go to www.ehphonline.org and the study is titled Decrease in Anogential Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure). The study recruited pregnant women in L.A., California, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Columbia Missouri from September 1999 to August 2002, Iowa was added late in the study. They had the women complete a questionnaire, some gave blood samples and urine collected midway through the study. Not all participants supplied all of the samples. 85% of the participants agreed to be re-contacted. These participants were eligible if they had a live birth and the baby was between 2-36 months of age. They studied the anogenital measurements (several different measurements of the genitals) of the infant boy’s in relation to the release of Phthalates in their urine. There has also been a study conducted on rats, where it has been shown that the anogenital distance is the most sensitive to Phthalates. However, it has been difficult to prove the sensitivity comparison between humans and animals. Although there was increased Phthalates in the urine of the study participants, it was difficult to determine if it ingested via dermal application (lotions, shampoos etc), orally (plastic toys, books, teething rings) or inhaled. The study revealed 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 system”.
It should also be noted that Phthalates have been used for over 50 years and there has been no definitive proof that it has caused damage to the human endocrine or reproductive system. For further information on Phthalates and their safety please go to www.phthalates.org.
Currently the European Union (EU) and California have banned the use of most Phthalates in their products. The European Cosmetics Directive says that any substance known or strongly suspected to have certain health effects in laboratory animals—even if this occurs only at extremely high doses—is assumed to present similar risks to humans, and may not be used in cosmetics.
As a consumer in Canada, you will not know if you have been using Phthalates on yourself or your family, because companies that create the fragrances do not have to list the ingredients. There is a trade secret law that allows them to keep their ingredient listing, well a secret. Also, manufacturers of cosmetics in Canada do not have to list it as an ingredient, only that a fragrance is used. If it is the least percentage amount of ingredient then it is listed at the end of the ingredient listing.
One of the main commitments we have to you as our customer is to provide you with products that are mostly natural. With that in mind we took a good look at our product offering.
We contacted all the suppliers to find out if they were Phthalate free. Confirmation was received that all of the essential oils used are Phthalate free. For two of my suppliers, they were not able to give answers, so those fragrances have been discontinued. One supplier informed us the fragrances they offer, do have Diethyl Phthalate in its’ composition. The concentration is less than 0.05% of the final product offered by Bath-a-holic. This Phthalate has been extensively tested by the Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products intended for Consumers (SCCNFP). The conclusion from this study was this particular Phthalate does not pose any risk to human health. You can read the study at www.dep-facts.com. This study was conducted on rats, mice, rabbits and humans. They tested the effects of Diethyl Phthalates on the subjects through various different methods; orally, inhalation and dermal (skin). The conclusion of the study was “DEP shows a low level of toxicity. Testing for dermal irritation and sensitization in humans as well as animals, and for photo-toxicity and photo sensitization in human volunteers, has demonstrated its safety of use. Even undiluted the effects observed were minimal or moderate” * Their final opinion on the use of Diethyl Phthalate is “The SCCNP is of the opinion that the safety profile of Diethyl-phthalate supports its use in cosmetic products at current levels. At present the SCCNFP does not recommend any specific warnings or restrictions under the currently proposed conditions of use” *. The European Union has accepted this Phthalate as safe for use.
Based on these studies and my research, the following modifications have been made. The Baby Boo fragrance which was a fan favourite has been changed, but it still smells like nice delicious powdered baby. This product does contain the Diethyl Phthalate in a concentration of less than 0.05%. I have also discontinued the Pink Sugar fragrance, as I was not able to get information whether or not it contained Phthalates. We have also discontinued the Green Apple fragrance. Should you still have any serious concerns about fragrances or essential oils being used on your family’s skin, please choose the unscented versions of our product line.
If you would like to learn more about safety and cosmetics you can also go to www.safecosmetics.org. There are many great articles there on products that you are using. Informing yourself on the use of Phthalates is very important as it is used in all sorts of everyday products.
At Bath-a-holic we are committed to providing you with high quality products that are good for your entire family. If you have any questions regarding our products, please contact us at info@Bath-a-holic.com or 416-888-4315. We have a library on each ingredient and can answer any question you may have. We also have copies of all the research mentioned in this article and are happy to provide it for you.
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