TOXICS INFORMATION PROJECT (TIP)
Tel.
401-351-9193, E-Mail: TIP@toxicsinfo.org
Website: www.toxicsinfo.org
(Sharing Information on Toxics in Everyday Life
& Providing Healthier Alternatives)
COSMETICS & HEALTH: THE PHTHALATE CONNECTION
Phthalates Facts:
** Phthalates are a family of industrial chemicals that are
used as a plastic softeners or solvents in
**Hundreds of animal
studies have shown that phthalates can damage the liver, the kidneys, the lungs
and the reproductive system, especially the developing testes.
**Phthalates are
found in many leading beauty care products, including hair spray, deodorant,
nail polish and perfume that you may be using everyday.
**Companies say that
the level of phthalates in their products is "safe." That might be true if people were exposed to
only one phthalate from one source at a time, but none of us is and the
exposures add up. Since many phthalates
have similar effects, we may be affected by the total exposure to this group of
chemicals. What appears to be a
"tolerable" level of exposure to a single phthalate could contribute
to an unsafe overall exposure.
Therefore, when possible, you may wish to reduce your use of cosmetics
known to contain phthalates and as well as plastic products made from soft PVC
(polyvinyl chloride) plastic, also known as vinyl -- products such as vinyl
flooring, shower curtains, wallpaper and food containers.
Visit the website:
www.ChemicalBodyBurden.org and learn more about chemicals in your body and how they got there.
More about
Phthalates
Not Too Pretty: Phthalates, Beauty Products and the FDA
Five
percent of the 20 to 40 year old women tested by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), are getting up to 45
times more phthalates (pronounced tha-lates) than
previous daily intake estimates and they are at levels of concern. While the CDC found evidence of phthalates in
virtually every one of the cross-section of Americans tested, evidence of the
highest levels of exposure to the phthalate DBP (dibutyl
phthalate) were found in women of childbearing age.
Phthalates
are dangerous.
Hundreds of animal studies have demonstrated that phthalates can damage the
liver, the kidneys, the lungs and the reproductive system, especially the
developing testes. Some patients who
receive treatment using PVC medical devices softened with phthalates have
developed the same health problems that animal studies show come from exposure
to these chemicals. Other health
problems seen in animal studies have never been looked for in people. But scientists in the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), Health
Where are these phthalates coming from?
Why do women between the age of 20 to 40 years have
higher levels of dibutyl-phthalate (DBP) in their
bodies than anyone else? We don't know
for sure, but government databases state that DBP is used in cosmetics, toys,
flooring, adhesives, wallpaper, furniture, raincoats and shower curtains. So cosmetics and other
personal care products seem the most likely reason that women would be more
exposed than anyone else. While
more than 5,000 beauty and personal care products for women can be found on a
drug store website, phthalates are only listed as an ingredient on some nail
polishes.
Could
nail polish be the only source?
To answer that question, Health Care Without Harm, the
Environmental Working Group and Coming Clean recently released "Not Too
Pretty," a report that outlines the harmful effects of aggregate exposure
to phthalates and discusses human exposures.
The report tested popular fragrances, hair sprays and deodorants
purchased from four drug stores.
The testing done for Not Too Pretty
covers less than one percent of the beauty products
sold in drug and discount stores
across the
These exposures to phthalates are unnecessary because alternatives are
available. For virtually every single
product that contains phthalates there are phthalate-free products on the
market that perform just as well. The limited testing done for Not Too Pretty revealed that the same big companies that
produce phthalate-laden beauty products also make products free of phthalates.
Health Care Without
Harm names the products tested at the Internet website,
http://www.nottoopretty.org/
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Opportunities for
discussion of this, and information about other topics
are available
from:
Toxics Information Project (TIP), Tel. 401-351-9193 or E-Mail: TIP@toxicsinfo.org
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