Toxin Series "1": PHTHALATES Are Everywhere!
- ketogenicfasting
- Jun 28, 2024
- 4 min read
Phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are a group of chemicals found in hundreds of consumer products. They are primarily used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or vinyl, more flexible and durable. Their stable chemical structure also helps fragrances last longer, making phthalates a common ingredient in perfumes and many personal care products.
Let's First See How/Why Phthalates Are Used in Cosmetics?
The three primary phthalates historically used in cosmetic and personal care products are:
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP): Used as a plasticizer in nail polish to improve flexibility and reduce cracking.
Dimethyl phthalate (DMP): Used in hair sprays to create a flexible film that helps prevent stiffness.
Diethyl phthalate (DEP): Used as a solvent and fragrance fixative to help scents last longer.
According to the FDA, DEP is the most commonly used phthalate in cosmetics and fragrance products.
Where Else Are Phthalates?
Phthalates are commonly added to plastics to increase their flexibility, durability, transparency, and lifespan. Beyond their widespread use in fragrances, they are found in many everyday products, including:
Building materials: Vinyl flooring, wall coverings, carpeting, floor tiles, paints, roofing materials, adhesives, and sealants.
Electrical products: Wire coatings, cable insulation, and electrical components.
Automotive products: Interior trim, seat covers, underbody coatings, and corrosion-resistant components.
Medical and pharmaceutical products: Pill and supplement coatings, blood bags, IV tubing, catheters, and other medical devices.
Outdoor products: Pool liners, garden hoses, roofing membranes, rain boots, and agricultural products.
Printing materials: Printing inks.
Textiles: Coated fabrics, luggage, purses, PVC clothing, and so-called vegan leather.
Sporting equipment: Various plastic and vinyl components.
Household products: Detergents, vinyl gloves, and shower curtains.
Children's products: Toys, school supplies, pencil cases, backpacks, erasers, and some diaper and nipple creams.
Food packaging: Plastic wrap, shrink films, canned food linings, and fast-food packaging.
Personal care products: Moisturizers, deodorants, nail polish, hair spray, shampoos, conditioners, liquid soaps, aftershaves, eye shadow, sunscreens, perfumes, and other fragrance products.
What Does FDA, CDC, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Say About Phthalates?
"Nothing To See Here!"
Several reports around the turn of the century shaped the public opinion of phthalates.
The National Toxicology Program (expert panel of National Institute for Environmental Safety and Health) concluded in 2000 that phthalates have negligible reproductive risks if any.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report titled "National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals" concluded in 2001 that there were no association between the presence of phthalates in human urine and disease.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel reaffirmed in 2002 its original conclusion (reached in 1985), finding that phthalates are safe as used in cosmetic products.
Based on the above mentioned reports, FDA established in 2002 that there was no association between the use of phthalates in cosmetic products and a health risk. Based on this determination, FDA decided that there is no need for regulatory action against cosmetics containing phthalates.
In 2013, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) concluded that there is no public health concern with the current uses of phthalates for children and adults, including use in gloves, footwear, wet weather gear, children’s school materials, shower curtains, artificial leather, wall and floor covering, wire and cables, etc. ECHA also concluded that presence of phthalates in food or household dust does not result in a health concern.
In 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) found no concerns with the use of phhthalates in such products like coated fabrics (upholstery and artificial leather), pool liners, gloves, PVC clothing, adhesives, sealants and coatings, etc. for children and adults. They also found no concern with the potential presence of phthalates in food and household dust.
In 2017, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) confirmed that phthalates can be used in sensitive applications like toys and childcare articles without any restrictions.
Note that all these expert panels and agencies were and are still packed with either current or past employees of, or lobbyists for the chemical, pharma and cosmetic industries. They are current or past employees from the industry overseeing the same industries the once worked for.
Furthermore, all reports and publications on the subject were funded by industry-sponsored organizations (i.e. CIR) whose members were all manufacturers of phthalates containing products. The situation is no different today.
More than 470 million pounds of phthalates are produced or imported in the United States each year. In 2010, the market was still dominated by high-phthalate plasticizers; however, due to growing environmental awareness and perceptions, producers are increasingly forced to use non-phthalate plasticizers.
Independent researchers agree that something has to be done about this dangerous chemical toxin. Studies conducted by researchers at George Washington University compared phthalate levels in people who ate home-cooked meals to those who frequently dined out at restaurants, cafeterias and fast-food outlets. On average, people who eat out have nearly 35 percent higher levels of phthalates circulating in their bodies.
A 2004 study done at the Harvard School of Public Health found that enteric coatings used on medications and supplements generally consist of various polymers that contain plasticizers, including triethyl citrate, dibutyl sebacate, and phthalates such as diethyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate. The study consisted of a spot urine sample from a man collected three months after he started taking Asacol, a medication with an enteric coating. The results showed that the concentration of phthalates in his urine was higher than the 95th percentile for males reported in the 1999–2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
As evidenced by the indifferent position worldwide agencies are demonstrating, it’s totally up to us, the consumers, to search out phthalate-free products and avoid using foods and goods that contain this serious toxin.
We will soon address in a separate blog post what phthalates do to your health. Stay tuned!
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