Cosmetics Could Be Harmful to Your Health: What Every Woman Needs to Know

You use them everyday to moisturize, add volume and to even give your hair that strong, long lasting hold. But what you don't know is that phthalates used in perfume, lotion, shampoo, hairspray, nail polish and numerous other common cosmetics could be harming yourself or even your unborn child.

DMP, DEP, and DBP are the three types of phthalates used in cosmetics and personal care products. They help scents linger longer and nail polish from chipping just to name a few of the incentives for companies to use them.

But do the warning signs outweigh the benefit? The debate has reached a fever pitch as more and more women who used phthalate laden products prior to getting pregnant saw birth defects and low sperm count in their male children. A few even believe phthalates contributed to their breast cancer diagnosis.

The Center for Disease Control's stance is that early studies have significant limitations but that levels of exposure to each phthalate used in personal care products were well within the safety levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency. In 2001 the Federal Drug Administration studied the CDC's data and determined continued research wasn't warranted. However, in 2002 the Cosmetic Ingredient Review was commissioned to study the literature on DMP, DEP and DBP and agreed if cosmetics were used properly they were safe. No additional studies since the initial CDC report in were done.

So why should you worry?

First and foremost the outdated literature used very different criteria to assess risk, including high level exposure for cancer and occupational exposure leading to adult infertility. In recent years Dr. Earl Gray who works for the EPA has focused on low-dose toxicity of phthalates during crucial windows of fetal development in animals. In his studies DBP and DEHP produced dramatic changes in male sexual characteristics when exposure took place in utero. These changes included increases in the rates of hypospadias and other indications of demasculinization.

In 1999 the concern was so great that the Consumer Products Safety Commission asked toy manufacturers to phase out petroleum based plastics that include phthalates as an ingredient. One of the largest companies to comply, Mattel, changed the chemical makeup of Barbie.

The American Academy of Pediatrics entered the debate in June 2003, issuing a report in Pediatrics that recommended further research on phthalates and their affect on the fetus and infants. Their review of the literature found that no studies to date had directly addressed this issue. The European Union went as far as to ban the use of phthalates in cosmetics; however, the EU has a different burden of proof than the United States when it comes to toxic chemicals. Just showing that high doses of a substance have caused health problems in rodents is enough to ban a substance. This past April the EU extended the ban of phthalates for children's toys.

The pressure from certain watchdog groups including, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, is becoming so intense several major U.S. companies have agreed to remove phthalates from their products. Orly International and OPI Products just started selling reformulated nail polishes and Sally Hansen plans to start selling similarly reformulated products in 2007. California has tried to ban the chemicals since 2004, but has only managed to reclassify them as "a reproductive toxin."

Most advocacy groups will concede phthalates in small doses aren't harmful. But how many women of childbearing age (between the ages of 18-25) are using just one cosmetic product? Loading up on the nail polish, perfume, hairspray and lotion doesn't equal small amounts of exposure. A former model whose son suffered from hypospadias says if she had known then what she knows now the makeup and hairspray would have gone straight into the trashcan.