Natural, chemical-free personal care products are now very much on the savvy consumer's radar. This is a growing market that will only get bigger as more and more consumers adopt healthier, greener lifestyles. Natural, phthalate free skin care products are leading the way as women in particular become ever more wary about exactly what they are putting onto their skin.
Phthalates have been used widely in plastic goods since the 1950's, mainly to give otherwise hard, brittle plastics flexibility. They have also come to be used in an array of personal care goods mainly to aid lubrication, spreadability and skin penetration. They are also used to help stabilize fragrances and make them longer-lasting.
The concern about them stems from their action as endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs. EDCs affect the body's endocrine system, which consists of a network of glands that release hormones into the body. These hormones control essential bodily processes such as growth, metabolism and reproduction. EDCs are thought to produce adverse effects in these areas, including infant development, brain function and immunity.
More specifically, phthalates are a type of EDC known as xenoestrogens, compounds that act like the female sex hormone estrogen when they are absorbed or ingested. These compounds have been a concern among scientists for many years, and are associated with a number of serious health problems. These include, but are not limited to, asthma, allergies, certain cancers, obesity and infertility.
Although the evidence against EDCs is not yet absolutely conclusive, numerous studies have produced enough data to raise serious concern among experts. Animal research suggests there is a link between these chemicals and male infertility, anatomical abnormalities and low birth weight. A link between EDCs and the early onset of puberty in humans is being researched by Mount Sinai Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit in New York City.
Currently, consumers seeking to avoid harmful chemicals in personal care goods need to be vigilant and do a little homework. Although there is a much wider variety of chemical-free goods available these days, being sure that they truly are as pure as they claim is not always easy. Many less conscientious manufacturers are seeing easy profits in the 'free-from' market and are producing products that are not as chemical-free as they appear.
The packaging may feature industry buzz-words like 'paraben-free' and 'organic' but the products inside may yet contain harmful substances. Knowing whether phthalates in particular are present can be a problem since there is no requirement by manufacturers to include them on their labeling. Even when they are not listed in the ingredients they may be present as part of the product's fragrance. To be really sure, one may have to contact the manufacturer directly or check their website.
Another complication arises from the fact that a product's container may contain phthalates even if the product itself does not. Since these compounds will over time leach into whatever is in close contact with them, even a supposedly phthalate-free product may be contaminated. A conscientious manufacturer will make sure that their packaging is non-toxic, but again, possibly the only way to be absolutely sure is to contact the company directly.
Phthalates have been used widely in plastic goods since the 1950's, mainly to give otherwise hard, brittle plastics flexibility. They have also come to be used in an array of personal care goods mainly to aid lubrication, spreadability and skin penetration. They are also used to help stabilize fragrances and make them longer-lasting.
The concern about them stems from their action as endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs. EDCs affect the body's endocrine system, which consists of a network of glands that release hormones into the body. These hormones control essential bodily processes such as growth, metabolism and reproduction. EDCs are thought to produce adverse effects in these areas, including infant development, brain function and immunity.
More specifically, phthalates are a type of EDC known as xenoestrogens, compounds that act like the female sex hormone estrogen when they are absorbed or ingested. These compounds have been a concern among scientists for many years, and are associated with a number of serious health problems. These include, but are not limited to, asthma, allergies, certain cancers, obesity and infertility.
Although the evidence against EDCs is not yet absolutely conclusive, numerous studies have produced enough data to raise serious concern among experts. Animal research suggests there is a link between these chemicals and male infertility, anatomical abnormalities and low birth weight. A link between EDCs and the early onset of puberty in humans is being researched by Mount Sinai Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit in New York City.
Currently, consumers seeking to avoid harmful chemicals in personal care goods need to be vigilant and do a little homework. Although there is a much wider variety of chemical-free goods available these days, being sure that they truly are as pure as they claim is not always easy. Many less conscientious manufacturers are seeing easy profits in the 'free-from' market and are producing products that are not as chemical-free as they appear.
The packaging may feature industry buzz-words like 'paraben-free' and 'organic' but the products inside may yet contain harmful substances. Knowing whether phthalates in particular are present can be a problem since there is no requirement by manufacturers to include them on their labeling. Even when they are not listed in the ingredients they may be present as part of the product's fragrance. To be really sure, one may have to contact the manufacturer directly or check their website.
Another complication arises from the fact that a product's container may contain phthalates even if the product itself does not. Since these compounds will over time leach into whatever is in close contact with them, even a supposedly phthalate-free product may be contaminated. A conscientious manufacturer will make sure that their packaging is non-toxic, but again, possibly the only way to be absolutely sure is to contact the company directly.
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