Visit The Not To Pretty Organization
are phthalates? Phthalates are a family of industrial chemicals that are
used as plastic softeners or solvents in many different consumer products.
They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled as fumes, ingested when
they contaminate food or when children bite or suck on toys, and are inadvertently
but directly administered to patients from some PVC (polyvinyl chloride
or vinyl) medical devices.
linked to birth defects do not belong in products marketed to women!
are found in many leading beauty care products, including hair spray,
deodorant, nail polish and perfume that you may be using everyday.
Studies have shown
that phthalates can damage the liver, the kidneys, the lungs and the reproductive
system, especially the developing testes.
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. To see which brands were
tested and which ones tested positively for phthalates click
[here]. The answers will shock you!
Cosmetics and Skin Care Has NEVER EVER used phthalates in ANY of their
of the leading beauty manufactures use phthalates in their products --
such as Pantene Pro V "Healthy Hold" and Aqua Net hair sprays, Arrid and
Degree deodorants, many fragrances including Poison by Christian Dior
and Coty's Healing Garden contain phthalates, as well as Cover Girl, Sally
Hansen and Maybelline (L'Oreal) nail polishes. Click Here to View The List
damage linked to phthalate used in fragrances, new study by Harvard researchers
finds, December 9, 2002
Read the press
19, 2002, the U.S. Cosmetics Ingredients Review panel failed to similarly
protect Americans when it said phthalates are "safe as currently used,"
a ruling vigorously contested by health advocates and environmentalists
who say the panel failed to conduct a thorough and credible study of the
available scientific evidence.
your voice to demand change for the things you care about. Whether you
send an email to your Senator, vote in an election, clean up your neighborhood,
or talk to your children about human rights, you are making a difference. Use the tools we have
provided to make it easier to tell the FDA to protect consumers from
phthalates and companies to clean up their act and remove phthalates
from their products NOW.