Choose products labeled "phthalate-free" or "DEHP-free."
Phthalates are used to create thin and flexible films (they've been used in nail polish and other cosmetics), as lubricants (hence their use in lotions), as solvents, and to extend the life of fragrances, among many other applications. They are found in everything from food packaging to insect repellant to bath and teething toys.
Some phthalates have been shown in animal studies to cause birth defects, and a number of popular phthalates have been identified as endocrine disrupters that interfere with male reproductive development. Concerned, Europe restricted use of about half a dozen phthalates in 2008, and the U.S. restricted them in products intended for use by children under age 12. Similar regulations exist elsewhere, including Canada, Japan, and Taiwan. On May 4, 2011, the French National assembly voted to ban phthalates altogether, based on concerns about endocrine disruption.
We can take phthalates into our bodies by breathing them, ingesting them, and by absorbing them through our skin. A study published in March 2018 found that when people eliminated certain packaged foods from their diets, levels of the corresponding phthalates in their urine dropped by more than 50 percent.
