Phthalates in Consumer Products

What It Is

Phthalates are a family of chemical compounds known as esters of phthalic acid. They are used most widely as plasticizers, meaning additives that make rigid plastics such as PVC soft and flexible. Different members have quite different uses: higher-molecular-weight phthalates such as DEHP and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) are used mainly in plastics, while lower-molecular-weight members such as diethyl phthalate (DEP) have historically been used in personal-care products, often as a carrier or fixative for fragrance.

Common Uses

As plasticizers, phthalates appear in flooring, wall coverings, wire and cable insulation, medical tubing, and many flexible-plastic goods. In consumer and personal-care products, DEP has been used in fragranced items such as perfumes, lotions, and some cleaners because it helps a scent last longer. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) has been used in some nail products. Because "fragrance" on a label can represent a blend, phthalates used as fragrance carriers are not always listed individually, which is one reason the category draws attention.

How It Works

The role a phthalate plays depends on the member. As a plasticizer, a phthalate molecule inserts itself between polymer chains and lets them slide past one another, which is what turns a hard plastic into a flexible one. As a fragrance fixative, a phthalate such as DEP acts as a solvent and slows the evaporation of the aromatic compounds, helping a scent persist. These are the two main functional reasons different phthalates are chosen.

Safety and Regulation

Several phthalates are specifically regulated. Under the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, DEHP, DBP, and BBP are permanently restricted to no more than 0.1 percent in children's toys and child-care articles, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission later added DINP, DIBP, DPENP, DHEXP, and DCHP to that restriction. In California, DEHP, DBP, BBP, and DINP are listed under Proposition 65. In the European Union, DEHP, DBP, BBP, and DIBP are restricted under REACH in many articles. Regulation varies by individual member, so the specific status of each is covered on its own page rather than generalized across the whole family.

Why Natural Flower Power Does Not Use It

We do not add phthalates to our products, and we do not use phthalate-based fragrance carriers. When we scent a product, we choose fragrance materials that do not rely on this family of compounds. This has been part of how we formulate since we began making our products in-house in 2012. As an independently owned company, we prefer to keep our fragrance and packaging choices straightforward and to explain what we use rather than frame it around what we avoid.

Related Ingredients

Individual members of the phthalate family covered in this reference: diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP). For broader context on how we approach formulation, see the editorial pieces what we put in our products and how we formulate our products. You can also browse our all-purpose cleaners, dish soaps, and hand soaps.

Sources

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Section 108 (phthalate limits in children's products); Final Rule, 2017.
• California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). Proposition 65 List (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP).
• European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). REACH Annex XVII restrictions on DEHP, DBP, BBP, and DIBP in articles.