ALittlePrettier

A Little Prettier ! 1

A Little Prettier

Cosmetic

companies deny

health problems

related to

phthalates, but are

they secretly

reformulating?

A Follow-Up to the 2002

“Not Too Pretty” Report

! ! Introduction!! ! ! ! ! ! 3

! ! How the Tests Were Conducted! ! ! 4

! ! The Results! ! ! ! ! ! ! 5

! ! The Problem with Phthalates! ! ! ! 8

! ! The Product Tests in a Larger Context! ! 12

! ! What You Can Do!! ! ! ! ! 14

! ! Appendix A: New Research on Phthalates! ! 15

! ! References! ! ! ! ! ! ! 18

A Little Prettier ! 2

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

This report was written by Campaign for Safe Cosmetics staff: Lisa Archer, Charlotte Brody, RN, Stacy

Malkan and Heather Sarantis. Thanks to Sarah Janssen, MD, PhD, MPH of Natural Resources Defense

Council for her review of the science reﬂected in this report. Copyright November 2008 by Breast

Cancer Fund and Commonweal.

About the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of women’s, public health, labor, environmental health

and consumer‐rights groups. Our goal is to protect the health of consumers and workers by requiring

the health and beauty industry to phase out the use of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and

other health problems, and to replace them with safer alternatives. Founding members of the

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Clean

Water Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Massachusetts Breast

Cancer Coalition, National Black Environmental Justice Network, National Environmental Trust and

Women’s Voices for the Earth. Visit www.safecosmetics.org for more information.

In 2002 Environmental Working Group

(EWG), Coming Clean and Health Care

Without Harm tested 72 personal care

products for the presence of phthalates, a

set of plasticizing chemicals linked to birth

defects, asthma, early puberty and

decreased sperm count. More than 70% of

the products tested – including top-selling

shampoos, deodorants and fragrances –

contained at least one phthalate, and many

of the products contained multiple

phthalates.

These findings were released in “Not Too

Pretty,”

a report that introduced many

people to both the health problems

related to phthalate exposure and the

glaring lack of oversight of the U.S.

cosmetics industry. For example, it is

perfectly legal to put chemicals linked to

cancer and birth defects into cosmetics.

Companies are not even required to list

phthalates on product labels if they are a

component of fragrance (“fragrance”

qualifies as a protected trade secret).

None of the phthalate-

containing products we

tested for in “Not Too

Pretty” listed phthalates on

the label.

Since the release of that

report, a national

movement to reform the

cosmetics and personal

care products industry has

emerged. The Campaign

for Safe Cosmetics

launched in 2004 and

quickly gained

momentum. As of

November 2008, more

than 1,000 companies have signed the

Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to

eliminate harmful ingredients in their

personal care products. Thousands of

media stories have been published and

millions of people have checked the safety

of their cosmetics using EWG’s Skin Deep

cosmetics database – an online resource

that inventories more than 30,000

products cross-referenced against 50

toxicity databases.

Meanwhile, many of the largest cosmetics

companies and the industry’s trade

association, the Personal Care Products

Council, have denied there is a problem.

The trade association even denies that

phthalates in baby products is cause for

concern.

In fact, many cosmetic

companies have developed aggressive

lobbying campaigns to undermine efforts

to regulate the industry.

And with only a

few exceptions, the large companies

continue to insist that using phthalates in

their products is safe.

But the Campaign for Safe

Cosmetics wanted to

know: are cosmetic

companies publicly denying

the problems with

phthalates while quietly

removing them in response

to growing concern about

cosmetic safety?

To find out, we decided to

re-test some of the

products highlighted in

“Not Too Pretty.” This

report summarizes

these recent findings.

A Little Prettier ! 3

Introduction

The original report, published in 2002.

In 2002, in tests commissioned by

Environmental Working Group, Coming

Clean and Health Care without Harm,

72 products were surveyed by an

independent laboratory for the presence

of seven phthalates that the U.S. Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) had recently found in people’s

bodies through biomonitoring studies.

The laboratory report showed that 52

(72%) of the deodorants, perfumes, hair

gels, hair mousses, hair sprays and

lotions tested contained at least one

phthalate. Twelve products contained

more than one phthalate and five

contained very high levels of diethyl

phthalate (DEP).

In July 2008, members of the Campaign

for Safe Cosmetics in Boston and San

Francisco shopped for the 17 products

tested in 2002 that contained multiple

phthalates or unusually high levels of

phthalates. Twelve of those products

could still be found in chain drug stores.

Unopened samples of those 12 different

products were then sent to Analytical

Sciences, an independent laboratory

based in Petaluma, Calif. Individual

samples were tested for nine of the

products, and four samples were tested

for Poison, Aqua Net Professional Hair

Spray and Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra

Clear Ultra Fresh spray (see sidebar for

list of all products tested).

This report highlights lab results for the

following phthalates: DEP, dibutyl

phthalate (DBP), butylbenzyl phthalate

(BBP), diethyhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and

dimethyl phthalate (DMP).

A Little Prettier ! 4

Products Tested in 2008

• Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear

Ultra Fresh Spray

• Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray

• Charlie Cologne Spray

• Tresor by Lancome Paris

• Oscar by Oscar de la Renta

• Pantene Pro V Stronghold Healthy

Hold Spray

• Poison by Christian Dior

• Red Door by Elizabeth Arden

• Secret Sheer Dry Regular

• TRESemme European Freeze-Hold

Hair Spray

• White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor

• Wind Song Extraordinary Cologne by

Prince Matchabelli

Sealed samples were sent to an independent

laboratory for analysis. Since companies are not

required to list phthalates on labels if they are

components of “fragrance,” the only way to

know for certain if a product with artiﬁcial

fragrance contains phthalates is to test it at a lab

at a cost of about $175 per test.

How the Tests Were Conducted

Highlights of the Findings in 2008

•

Based on our limited sampling of products currently on the market, at least some

segment of the industry seems to have made considerable progress in removing

phthalates from hair spray, deodorants and fragrances – although some companies

continue to use the controversial chemicals.

•

In the original tests six years ago, 12 products contained more than one phthalate.

In 2008, none of the products tested contained more than one phthalate; the

fragrances, deodorants and hair sprays tested negative for DBP, DMP, DEHP and

BBP.

•

The new tests also reveal that perfumes and colognes don’t need to have high

levels of phthalates. Poison perfume by Christian Dior – which in 2002 was the

most contaminated product with four phthalates (DBP, DEHP, BBP and DEP) – had

no detectable levels of phthalates in three of the four bottles tested in 2008, and

low levels of DEP in the fourth bottle.

•

However, not all the data was good news. The tests found that some companies

are still using high levels of DEP, which has been linked in recent human studies to

DNA damage in sperm,

feminization of the male reproductive system

and

alteration in male sex hormones.

The five perfumes and colognes with the highest

levels of DEP in 2002 all still showed more than 20,000 parts per million (ppm) of

that phthalate. Three of the fragrances – Charlie, Wind Song by Prince Matchibelli

and White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor – had higher levels of DEP in 2008 than they

did in 2002. Charlie Cologne Spray, manufactured by Revlon, had more than twice

as much DEP in 2008 as the same product had in 2002.

Test results reported from Analytical Sciences are displayed in Table 1.

A Little Prettier ! 5

The Results

Table 1: Comparison of Phthalate Levels Detected in Tests in 2002 and 2008

(in parts per million). Tan indicates a decrease in the detected phthalate level since 2002. Purple

indicates an increased phthalate level since 2002. ND stands for “Not Detectable.”

Product

DEP

DBP

BBP

DEHP

DMP

2002

2008

2002

2008

2002

2008

2002

2008

2002

2008

Arrid XX Dry

Ultra Clear

Ultra Fresh

Spray

1,100

200

Aqua Net

Professional

Hair Spray

250

39-41

160

Charlie

Cologne Spray

21,000

48,000

Tresor

25,000

24,000

Oscar

9,400

1,600

Pantene Pro V

Stronghold

Healthy Hold

Spray

100-

140

0-46

Poison

3,400-

4,200

ND- 500

38-260

0-29

0 -25

Red Door

28,000

24,000

Secret Sheer

Dry Regular

TRESemme

European

Freeze-Hold

Hair Spray

210

120

White

Diamonds

23,000

32,000

Wind Song

Extraordinary

Cologne

20,000

26,000

A Little Prettier ! 6

What Do the Results Mean?

Based on this small sample of products

on the market, at least some segment of

the industry seems to be paying

attention to consumer and scientific

concerns about phthalates and appears

to have made efforts to remove these

chemicals. If the test results presented in

this report actually mirror industry as a

whole, then it appears that some leading

beauty products have fewer toxic

phthalates today than they did in 2002.

However, there is still reason to

be concerned:

•

Many products still contain very

high levels of DEP: As the test

results show, DEP continues to be

widely used in personal care products,

and in some cases its use is even on the

rise. DEP is linked to poor sperm

quality,

alterations in male sex

hormones

and feminization of the male

reproductive tract.

Animal studies have

shown links to other health problems,

such as reduced offspring size,

liver

abnormalities and elevated cholesterol.

Chemicals with these potential risks

have no place in our everyday products.

•

We don’t know what chemicals

are replacing phthalates in

cosmetic formulations: We know

there are concerns with phthalate safety

(see the next section for details), so

reducing their use is a significant step

forward. What we don’t know – and

what is almost impossible to know since

companies are not required to inform

the public – is what they are

substituting, if anything, in place of

phthalates in fragrance formulations.

The lack of government oversight of

cosmetic safety means that there are no

assurances that products are getting

safer.

•

We don’t know how many other

products on the market contain

hidden phthalates – and there is

no way to know without further

testing: These product tests analyzed

only a small section of the market. Since

phthalates are not required to be listed

on the label if they are a component of

fragrance, there is no way to know

which other products still contain

phthalates without sending them to the

lab – at a cost of $175 per product.

A Little Prettier ! 7

The lack of government oversight in cosmetic safety means

that we have no assurances that products are getting safer.

Phthalate ( \ˈtha-ˌlāt\ )

Phthalates are a class of hormone-

disrupting industrial chemicals used in

personal care products like hair spray (to

make hair stiffer) and in fragrance and nail

polish (to help spread the fragrance).

There are dozens of different phthalates,

which are used in numerous types of

products, such as plastic toys, food

packaging, plumbing pipes, solvents,

industrial lubricants, wiring, carpeting,

flooring and many other products in

addition to personal care products. This

rampant use of phthalates has resulted in

widespread exposure to phthalates in the

general population.

Phthalates in Our Bodies

The realization that phthalates were

ending up in people came in September

2000, when CDC researchers reported

finding metabolites of at least one of

seven phthalates in the urine of all 289

people tested, and in many people they

found combinations of different

phthalates.

Every person tested had DBP

in their bodies. "The ubiquity of phthalates

in the general population surprised the

scientists: “From a public health

perspective, these data provide evidence

that phthalate exposure is both higher and

more common than previously

suspected.”

The CDC’s findings prompted

environmental and health organizations to

purchase 72 popular cosmetic products

and send them to an independent lab to

test for phthalates. The results – which

found that 72% of the products contained

phthalates – are published in “Not Too

Pretty.” The report also highlights some of

the health problems related to phthalate

exposure.

Since the release of “Not Too Pretty” in

2002 many more studies have found links

between health problems and phthalates.

Examples of these studies are included in

Appendix A. Follow up studies have also

confirmed that phthalate exposure is

widespread in the U.S. population. One

study found that 97% of the more than

2,500 people tested had metabolites of

DEP, DBP and BBP in their urine, and 75%

of the people tested positive for

metabolites of DEHP.

This widespread phthalate exposure

underscores the need to prevent harmful

chemicals from being used in our everyday

products. This section highlights some of

the trends in health problems that may be

related to phthalate exposure.

A Little Prettier ! 8

The chemicals women are exposed to when they

are pregnant can affect their children’s health

throughout their lives.

The Problem With Phthalates

Phthalates and Boys’ Health

Two decades of research suggest that

phthalates disrupt the hormonal systems

during fetal development.

Scientists have

shown that phthalates can damage the

female reproductive system (see Phthalates

and Girls’ Health), but it is the male

reproductive system that appears to be

more sensitive. Much of the evidence on

phthalates has been from animal studies;

however, a growing body of research is

finding similar impacts on humans. Below

are some examples of health problems in

males to which phthalates may be

contributing:

Declining Sperm Count & Quality

Analysis of 101 studies (1934-1996) by

Dr. Shanna Swan of the University of

Rochester confirms results of previous

studies: average sperm counts in

industrialized countries appear to be

declining at a rate of about 1% each year.

Other research indicates that overall

sperm quality may also be decreasing.

Human and animal tests show a

connection between phthalates and both

decreased sperm count and sperm

quality.

Declining Testosterone Levels

An analysis of a large sample of

Massachusetts men has found that since

the late 1980s, testosterone levels have

declined on average 1.2% per year, or 17%

overall. The downward trend was seen in

both the population and in individuals

over time and is not related to normal

aging or to health and lifestyle factors

known to influence testosterone levels.

Phthalates may be contributing to this

trend.

Hypospadias

Hypospadias is a physical deformity of the

penis in which the urethra opening occurs

on the bottom of the penis instead of the

tip. Data from CDC show that rates of

hypospadias in the United States began

climbing in about 1970 and continued this

increase through the 1980s.

Current

trends are difficult to assess due to

inadequate tracking systems, but as of

1999 the occurrence of hypospadias

appeared to be leveling off at about 30 to

40 cases per 10,000 births.

Phthalates

may be contributing to the increase in

hypospadias over the last four decades.

A Little Prettier ! 9

Phthalates can be harmful to anyone, but research

indicates that boys may be at even greater risk from

phthalate exposure in the womb than girls.

Undescended Testicles

This birth defect, where testicles fail to

completely descend into the scrotum

during pregnancy, occurs in 2% to 5% of

full-term boys in industrialized countries.

Rates of the defect increased in the

United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Men

born with this defect are at higher risk for

testicular cancer and breast cancer.

Phthalates may be contributing to

undescended testicles.

Feminization of Boys

The distance between the anus and the

genitals is a measure used to determine

gender. Shorter distance between the

anus and the genitals is characteristic of

female sex in both humans and animals.

Phthalate exposure in human mothers has

been associated with a shortened distance

between the anus and genitals in male

babies.

Animal studies also support this.

Recent research in humans supports

the theory that a shorter ano-genital

distance is associated with the male

genital birth defects of hypospadias and

cryptorchidism (a developmental defect

when the testes fail to descend into the

scrotum and instead are located in the

groin or in the abdomen).

Testicular Cancer

This is the most common cancer of young

men in many countries, including the

United States. Incidences continue to

increase at a rate of about 2% to 4% each

year in industrialized countries, although

rates appear to have stabilized in the

United States after a 20-year increase.

Men with hypospadias, infertility and

undescended testicles – the same

constellation of conditions seen in lab

animals exposed to certain phthalates –

are at greater risk for developing

testicular cancer.

In human males, hypospadias, undescended testes, impaired

male fertility/infertility and testicular cancer commonly

occur together.

This constellation of outcomes in humans

is now labeled testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) and

bears many similarities to phthalate syndrome, which has

been described in laboratory animals.

A Little Prettier ! 10

The decisions we make today about which products

we use and the government policies we need to

better regulate the ingredients in cosmetics may

affect all of us for generations to come.

Phthalates and Girls’ Health

The scientific understanding of the impact

of phthalates on male health is better

understood than on female health, but

there are health trends that appear to be

linked to exposure to phthalates. Some

examples include:

Early Puberty

In the United States girls get their first

periods a few months earlier than they did

40 years ago, and they develop breasts one

to two years earlier.

Early puberty has

been associated with polycystic ovarian

syndrome, obesity, breast cancer,

depression and a number of social

challenges such as experimentation with

sex, alcohol or drugs at a younger age.

Phthalates may contribute to girls’ early

breast development and early start of

their periods.

Impaired Fertility or Infertility

Many women experience difficulty or are

unable to get pregnant and/or carry a

pregnancy to term. Because there are no

records of incidence, it is not possible to

determine how many people experience

impaired fertility, but the best estimate is

12% of the reproductive age population in

the United States. This number seems to

have increased over the last two decades,

most sharply in women under the age of

25.

Phthalates may be contributing to

this trend.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that

lines the inside of the uterus (called the

endometrium) grows outside the uterus

on other parts of the body, such as the

ovaries, abdomen or pelvis. Estimates

vary, but most studies find between 10%

and 15% of reproductive-age women have

endometriosis.

About 30% to 40% of

women with endometriosis are infertile,

making it one of the leading contributors

to female infertility.

Phthalates may be

contributing to this trend.

Breast Cancer

Between 1973 and 1998 breast cancer

incidence rates in the United States

increased by more than 40%. In 2008, a

woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is

one in eight.

More than 200 chemicals

have been associated with increased

incidence of breast tumors.

Although

more research is needed to fully

understand the role phthalates play in the

development of breast cancer, some

phthalates have been shown to increase

breast cancer cell proliferation,

and they

can reduce the effectiveness of anti-

estrogen treatments such as tamoxifen.

A Little Prettier ! 11

Companies Respond to Pressure

The test results presented in this report show that the personal care product industry

appears to be reducing its use of phthalates in response to activist pressure, consumer

demand and government regulations. The likely reasons include:

•

Growing public concern about

phthalates: The Campaign for Safe

Cosmetics has helped catalyze a

massive wave of consumer pressure

to remove toxic chemicals from

personal care products in the United

States and abroad.

•

The European Union’s

Cosmetics Directive: In 2003,

the European Union banned two

phthalates – DBP and DEHP – and

more than 1,000 other chemicals

from personal care products.

•

The Safe Cosmetics Act: In

2005, California lawmakers passed

the Safe Cosmetics Act, which

requires companies to disclose to

the state their use of toxic chemicals

such as DEHP and DBP.

•

Children’s Safe Products Act

In 2007, Washington State banned

phthalates from children’s products,

including children’s personal care

products.

•

Consumer Product Safety

Improvement Act of 2008. This

year, the U.S. Congress banned six

phthalates from children’s toys, and

the ban was signed into law by

President Bush.

A Little Prettier ! 12

Phthalates Are Also in

Children’s Products

The tests conducted for this report

focused on products that adults use,

but children’s products can also

contain phthalates. The Environmental

Health Strategy Center in Maine did

similar independent testing of

children’s products. Of the two

personal care products they tested,

Dora the Explorer bubble bath and

Johnson and Johnson’s 2 in 1

shampoo, both contained phthalates.

But the Dora the Explorer bubble

bath contained the phthalate DINP at

five times the legal level allowed in

toys and child care articles in Europe

and the United States.

One concern with all products,

especially children’s products, is the

packaging, which can often be made of

polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC can

leach phthalates and other chemicals

into the product. There is no way to

know if the phthalate found in Dora

the Explorer came from the packaging

or the product fragrance, but it is

always better to take precaution.

Check the recycling symbol on the

bottom and do not buy products in

PVC (#3) containers.

The Product Tests in a Larger Context

Momentum is clearly building to eliminate

phthalates from products. Despite this

progress, we need smarter laws that

prevent harmful chemicals from ever being

used in personal care products. We also

need to ensure that government agencies

are funded and empowered to enforce

those laws.

The reduction of phthalates in the personal

care products tested in this report is an

important victory. While some companies

are voluntarily moving toward safer

production (see The Market Is Moving

below), we can’t solve this problem one

chemical or one company at a time.

Cosmetic companies use more the 7,000

ingredients in their products. Despite

decades of research showing that phthalate

exposure is linked to many painful and

devastating health effects, the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration does not currently

have the authority or the strength to

intervene.

The lack of government regulation, the

evidence that companies are still using

ingredients harmful to our health and the

clear demand the general public has shown

for safe cosmetics are all indicators that

now is the time for significant reform of

the cosmetic industry.

A Little Prettier ! 13

The Market Is Moving

While some companies continue to publicly defend phthalates, even while quietly removing

the chemicals, other companies are vocal in their movement away from phthalates. We don’t

fully understand how many companies are removing phthalates from their products, but the

examples below indicate that phthalates are not needed to make high-quality products.

Some examples that show there are alternatives to phthalates include:

•

OPI, the leading manufacturer of professional nail products worldwide, agreed to remove

DBP from its products after a sustained pressure campaign by the Campaign for Safe

Cosmetics. OPI is now advertising its products as free of this chemical. Other companies

including Orly and Sally Hansen also publicly announced that they would no longer use

DBP.

•

The Body Shop will phase out phthalates including DMP, DEP, DEHP, and DBP by the end

of 2008.

•

More than 1,000 companies signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to replace

ingredients known or suspected of causing cancer, mutation, birth defects or other

adverse health effects with safer alternatives.

•

Whole Foods, the largest natural food retailer in the United States has disallowed the use

of phthalates in products bearing its Whole Body Premium Standard Seal.

A recent study by EWG found that teenage girls’

bodies are contaminated with phthalates and

other chemicals commonly found in cosmetics

and body care products

1. Join the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and help advocate for federal and state laws

that will require all cosmetic ingredients be tested for safety.

2. Contact your governor, federal and state legislators and the candidates running for

public office and ask them to support efforts to more strictly regulate chemicals,

including those in personal care products.

3. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper or post a blog about the findings

in this report and the lack of FDA oversight of the personal care products

industry. Please refer to www.safecosmetics.org for more information (check out

the FAQs about the Campaign, and our Materials and Resources section). While

you’re there, click on the link to the EWG’s Skin Deep database for even more

information on cosmetics safety.

4. Spread the word! Let your friends, family and colleagues know that no one is

minding the store when it comes to pre-market safety assessment of personal care

products, and ask them to take these steps to protect us all from toxic ingredients

in products we use on our bodies.

A Little Prettier ! 14

Strong government oversight

and regulation of the $50

billion cosmetic industry is

important for women, men

and children. We all use

personal care products, and

we all need government

protection from harmful

ingredients in the products

we use every day.

What You Can Do

Since “Not Too Pretty” was published six years ago, many new studies have confirmed

that phthalates cause harm and that humans, especially babies, are being exposed to

dangerous levels of these chemicals. Examples of new research on phthalates include:

2003

•

In cell cultures, DEHP and BBP stimulated the growth of human breast cancer cells.

•

Exposure to DEP was associated with DNA damage in human sperm.

•

Exposure to DBP and BBP was associated with reduced sperm counts, lower sperm

motility and more deformed sperm in adult men.

•

Women with higher levels of DEHP in their bodies tended to deliver their babies a

little earlier compared to woman with lower levels of DEHP.

2004

•

Swedish children exposed to BBP attached to dust particles in their home

experienced more allergic symptoms such as runny nose and rashes, while children

exposed to DEHP attached to dust particles experienced more asthmatic symptoms

when compared to children with lower levels of exposure.

•

A study of breast cancer cells suggested that the phthalates DEHP, BBP and DBP

may counteract the therapeutic effect of tamoxifen, a treatment used to combat

breast cancer.

•

Three phthalates, DEP, DEHP and DBP, were found in human amniotic fluid samples

collected during the second trimester. This indicates that the fetus is exposed to

phthalates during critical windows of hormone-driven development.

2005

•

A strong relationship was established between a mother's exposure to phthalates

during her pregnancy – especially DBP, BBP, DEP and DIBP – and changes in the ways

her baby boy's genitals develop.

•

Lifelong exposure to DEHP was associated with the development of liver and

testicular cancer in laboratory animals.

•

Men who used cologne or aftershave had higher levels of breakdown products of

DEP.

A Little Prettier ! 15

Appendix A: New Research on Phthalates

2006

•

Rats exposed to DBP while still in the womb were born with testicular changes

similar to testicular dysgenesis syndrome in humans.

•

In Danish and Finish infants, breakdown products of DEP and DBP in their mother’s

breast milk altered the levels of male sex hormones necessary for the healthy

development of the male reproductive system.

•

Indian women with higher blood levels of the phthalates DnBP, BBP, DnOP and

DEHP were more likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis. The severity of

endometriosis was worse with increasing phthalate concentrations.

•

Rats exposed prenatally to the phthalate DEHP showed suppressed levels of the

enzyme crucial for masculinization of the male brain. The levels of phthalates used in

this study were set to match average human exposures.

•

Workers in a Chinese vinyl flooring factory with exposures to DBP and DEHP had

higher phthalate levels and lower free-testosterone levels than unexposed

workers.

•

The risk of adult-onset asthma was more than double for workers employed in

offices with plastic wall coverings. The Finnish researchers suggest that the

association is a result of increased exposure to the phthalate DEHP.

•

Female rats exposed to DBP during pregnancy had higher rates of miscarriage and

altered levels of female sex hormones.

2007

•

A study of pituitary cells suggested that the phthalate DEHP may counteract the

therapeutic effect of tamoxifen, a treatment used to combat breast cancer.

•

Young girls in three U.S. cities were found to have hormonally active environmental

agents in their urine, and African American girls are found to have higher levels of

the breakdown products of DEP and DEHP than girls of other ethnic backgrounds.

•

Exposure to two phthalates, DEP and DEHP, was correlated to DNA damage in the

sperm of men seeking care in an infertility clinic.

•

Men exposed to higher levels of DEHP had lower levels of two major thyroid

hormones in their blood.

•

Rats exposed prenatally to a combination of DEHP and DBP had decreased

testosterone levels and decreased expression of genes important for reproductive

development.

A Little Prettier ! 16

•

Early life exposure to BBP in laboratory animals was associated with increased

proliferation and change in gene expression in the mammary gland. These changes

could result in the development of cancer.

•

Exposure to DBP during pregnancy was associated with lower levels of thyroid

hormone. Thyroid hormone is essential for proper development of the fetus’ brain

and nervous system.

2008

•

The breakdown products of the phthalates DEP, DBP, BBP and DEHP were found in

more than 90% of 163 tested babies. The phthalate levels measured in the babies’

urine correlates with their mothers’ reported use of baby lotion, powder and

shampoo.

•

Exposure to a mixture of five phthalates at low doses caused greater harm than

exposure to each low dose phthalate individually. The phthalates BBP, DBP, DEHP,

diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and dipentyl phthalate (DPP) acted in an additive manner

to lower the male sex hormone testosterone.

•

Preschool children in Bulgaria exposed to dust contaminated with DEHP reported

more episodes of wheezing.

Adapted from Environmental Health News and “Abstracts of Selected Phthalates Studies”

by Environment California and Natural Resources Defense Council.

A Little Prettier ! 17

A Little Prettier ! 18

“Not Too Pretty” and other reports about cosmetics safety are available on the Campaign for Safe

Cosmetics website. See: www.safecosmetics.org/about/reports.cfm.

According to a December 2006 press release of the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association

(now know as the Personal Care Products Council) “The use of phthalates in cosmetics and personal

care products is supported by an extensive body of scientiﬁc research and data that conﬁrms safety.”

See: www.personalcarecouncil.org/Template.cfm?Section=News_Room&template=/

ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=4838 viewed on November 4, 2008.

John Baily, the chief scientist for the Personal Care Products Council claims: “The one phthalate that is

sometimes found in baby care products is diethyl phthalate (DEP)...DEP has been extensively

researched and has not been linked to reproductive toxicity or endocrine disruption.” (From

www.personalcarecouncil.org/Template.cfm?Section=News_Room&template=/ContentManagement/

ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=5721 viewed November 4, 2008). This statement is false on two

counts: ﬁrst, DEP has been linked to numerous health concerns, as documented in Appendix A and

other places in this report. Additionally, DiNP was found in Dora the Explorer bubble bath at ﬁve

times the legally accepted level in California, Washington and Europe, as described in the this report,

page 12.

For example, see “Trade Group Has Record of Opposing Safe Cosmetics” by Heather Sarantis in

Breast Cancer Fund’s Strong Voices Newsletter, Summer 2005, p. 7.

Duty SM, et al. The relationship between environmental exposures to phthalates and DNA damage in

human sperm using the neutral comet assay, Environ Health Perspect 2003;111(9):1164-69.

Swan SH. Prenatal phthalate exposure and anogenital distance in male infants. Environ Health Perspect

2006;114(2):A88-9.

Main KM, et al. Human breast milk contamination with phthalates and alterations of endogenous

reproductive hormones in infants three months of age. Environ Health Perspect 2006;114:270-6.

Hauser R, et al. DNA damage in human sperm is related to urinary levels of phthalate monoester and

oxidative metabolites. Hum Reprod 2007;22:688-95.

Main KM, et al. Human breast milk contamination with phthalates and alterations of endogenous

reproductive hormones in infants three months of age. Environ Health Perspect 2006;114:270-6.

Swan SH, et al. Decrease in anogenital distance among male infants with prenatal phthalate exposure.

Environ Health Perspect 2005;113:1056-61.

Lamb JC 4th, et al. Reproductive effects of four phthalic acid esters in the mouse. Toxicol Appl

Pharmacol 1987;88:255-69.

Sonde V, et al. Simultaneous administration of diethyl phthalate and ethyl alcohol and its toxicity in male

Sprague-Dawley rats. Toxicology 2000;19:23-31.

Blount BC, et al. Levels of seven urinary phthalate metabolites in a human reference population.

Environ Health Perspect 2000;108(10):979-82.

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