All phthalates should be banned from cosmetics and toiletries, in light of research that confirms the threat they pose to human fertility and reproductive development.

The research by US scientists from University of Rochester, the National Centre for Environmental Health and other centres, tested pregnant women for the presence of four phthalates; those with heightened levels of the chemicals in their urine were more likely to give birth to boys with reproductive defects such as smaller penises and undescended testicles.

Helen Lynn, WEN’s Health Co-ordinator, says: "It gives us no pleasure to say ‘We told you so’ but health and environmental campaigners have long warned that phthalates threaten fertility. The EU has banned six phthalates from children’s soft toys and two, DEHP and DBP, from use in cosmetics but others are still widely used in cosmetics and toiletries, as well as plastics. Companies have not agreed to remove DEP the phthalate most commonly used in cosmetics, and one of the phthalates linked to birth defects in the new human baby study. Product tests conducted for our report, Pretty Nasty, in 2002 found DEP in 68 percent of personal care products tested including deodorant, hair care products and all the perfumes tested."

A study in 2000 by the US Centres for Disease Control revealed that 75% of human participants had been exposed to four phthalates and the authors described the levels of DEP in women as "…a substantial internal dose". The highest levels of another phthalate were found in women aged 20-40.
Helen adds: "Chemicals that threaten human health and fertility do not belong in personal care or household products. Wen calls on cosmetics companies to remove phthalates from all their products and the EU to extend the current bans to cover the whole family of these chemicals."

ENDS

For more information contact Helen Lynn or Liz Sutton, Communications Co-ordinator on
020 7481 9004
.
Download Pretty Nasty: Phthalates in European Cosmetic Products from www.wen.org.uk/cosmetics/resources.

See also the website of The Safe Cosmetics Campaign in the US:
www.safecosmetics.org/docUploads/NotTooPretty%5Fr51%2Epdf