Ways to Avoid Phthalates--

I've been working on and thinking about this post for some time, and since that time a few new resources have popped up on the topic of avoiding phthalates in everyday products.

Why should we all avoid phthalates? Amanda at Enviroblog has put together a cheatsheet on these chemicals that even us with limited cognitive function due to multiple night wakings can understand. Here's what she says about what phthalates are, and here is a link to my past posts about phthalates.

Amanda from the Environmental Working Group goes on to give a list of ways to avoid phthalates, and this is most helpful to us parents who like short, to the point lists:

"How can I minimize my exposure?
Avoid these, and you'll also be avoiding phthalates:

Nail polish: Dibutyl phthalate is often used to make nail polish chip-resistant. Look for it on the ingredients list, where it may be shortened to DBP.
Plastics in the kitchen: Take a critical eye to your cupboards. Phthalates may be more likely to leach out of plastic when it's heated, so avoid cooking or microwaving in plastic.
Vinyl toys: Phthalates are what make vinyl (PVC) toys soft, so don't give them to children. Opt instead for wooden and other phthalate-free toys, especially during that age when they put everything in their mouths!
Paint: Paints and other hobby products may contain phthalates as solvents, so be sure to use them in a well-ventilated space.
Fragrance: Diethyl phthalate (DEP) is often used as part of the "fragrance" in some products. Since DEP won't be listed separately, you're better off choosing personal care products, detergents, and cleansers that don't have the word "fragrance" on the ingredients list.
Vinyl: Vinyl shows up in a lot of different products; lawn furniture, garden hoses, building materials, and items of clothing (like some raincoats) are often sources. Aside from carefully choosing materials when you're making purchases, there is one easy change you can make: switch to a non-vinyl shower curtain. That "new shower curtain" smell (you know the one) is a result of chemical off-gassing, and it means your shower curtain is a source of phthalates in your home.
Air Fresheners: Just like fragrances in personal care products, most air fresheners contain phthalates."

My big take home message from this? Avoid anything with fragrance added. Period. In this article there are also some great links to more information, including an interview with a scientist from EWG.

The Daily Green also shares an ingredient abbreviation list of some phthalates that actually do show up on the label (many don't).

"Read the ingredients. According to the organization Pollution in People, you can identify phthalates in some products by their chemical names, or abbreviations:

DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are often found in personal care products, including nail polishes, deodorants, perfumes and cologne, aftershave lotions, shampoos, hair gels and hand lotions. (BzBP, see below, is also in some personal care products.)
DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) is used in PVC plastics, including some medical devices.
BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate) is used in some flooring, car products and personal care products.
DMP (dimethyl phthalate) is used in insect repellent and some plastics (as well as rocket propellant)."

Read the full post here. Then you can avoid buying those products with the labeled abbreviation. So much to remember!

Here is a link to the study in the Journal of Pediatrics, about the exposure to phthalates in babies and young children.

Some of my favorite brands and products without phthalates are California Baby, Desert Essence Organics, Aubrey Organics, and Burt's Bee's Baby Wash. Check out your favorite products over at the Skin Deep database at EWG.

Let's hope someday in the future phthalates will be banned from all products, everywhere.
photo by Green Patriot