A lot of personal care products are advertising themselves as phthalate-free. What does this mean?
Stroll through the skincare or beauty aisle of any store and you’ll see products advertised as being free of phthalates.
It’s not unusual to see brands proudly proclaiming they’re free of certain chemicals. But what are phthalates and are they something to be avoided?
Phthalates are chemicals that are used to make plastics soft and flexible, said Leila Deravi, an associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Northeastern University. And there is evidence that they can have a negative impact on people.
“Phthalates have a legitimate bad rap,” said Deravi. “What happens is that these compounds go into your body and go systemic, and it’s a big problem because these are categories of compounds that are categorized as endocrine disruptors. They can bind to your hormonal receptors and alter hormone profiles and regulation.”
Research has found that this can lead to a number of health problems for adults and children, ranging from type 2 diabetes to obesity. It can also affect a person’s fertility and children’s puberty.
Deravi said phthalates are often used in beauty products to make them more flexible; they’re often found in nail polish and mascara to reduce brittleness as well as fragrances. They’re also found in PVC and other plastic products like building materials and shower curtains.
Certain foods also have higher levels of phthalates, particularly those packaged in plastic or from animals exposed to plastics. This applies to fatty meats and high-fat dairy.
While experts say phthalates don’t stay in the tissue, studies have found them in people’s urine and linked higher levels of them to early death in older people.
Some forms of phthalates are even banned in Europe. The European Union banned six different forms of phthalates from being used in products made for children out of concern that youngsters could be exposed to the chemical if they put the products in their mouths.
As a result, there’s been an uptick in people looking into this and trying to avoid phthalates in their products. However, Deravi said this is probably impossible given their prevalence.
“They’re in products no matter what,” she said. “It’s crazy because even in fragrances, phthalates aren’t even listed on the ingredient label. They’re everywhere.”
But how much will actually cause damage? Deravi said that these chemicals can cause issues, but it’s not clear how much exposure people need to have before seeing effects and whether they are actually consuming a concerning amount.
“There’s consensus they’re not great,” Deravi said. “There’s a question of dosage and are we ever going to reach those limits in a lifetime of using nail polish every day? Consumers don’t necessarily care that you actually have to be exposed a lot. But I think the problem is total accumulation in the environment.”