I-Green - e-Learn - Fertility and Cosmetics

Aromatherapy & Essential Oils Discover how these oils benefit you	Cosmetics & Breast Cancer The darker side of cosmetics
Harmful Chemical Guide A must reference!	Blending Essential Oils Know the categories of these oils
Carrier Oils What are they and how they help us.	Toxins In The Home Commonly overlooked toxic at home
Eczema & Bath Gels The link between the two	Fertility & Cosmetics How cosmetics can affect fertility
Understanding Personal Care & Cosmetics products How these products affects us	Fragrance: Emerging Health & Environmental concerns Fragrance and its damages

Fertility and Cosmetics

Fertility-threatening chemicals in cosmetics
Stockholm/London, 14 November 2002: Top brand cosmetics on sale in Sweden and
Britain contain phthalates - chemicals hazardous to human health and fertility.

Four out of five products tested for "Pretty Nasty: phthalates in European cosmetic products" contained at least one phthalate and more than half contained multiple phthalates. The report authors are calling on:

Manufacturers to pledge to remove all phthalates from their products - and to clearly label products in the interim
The European Union to unconditionally ban all phthalates from cosmetics
Consumers to press retailers, manufacturers and politicians to make sure phthalates are no longer used in cosmetics.

Perfume from L'Oreal and Christian Dior, and hair spray from Wella and Boots all contain phthalates that have just been conditionally banned in cosmetic and personal care products within the EU. Women´s Environmental Network in Great Britain and The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation in Sweden, in co-operation with the international organisation Health Care Without Harm, tested 34 leading cosmetic products in Sweden and Great Britain for phthalates. Perfumes, deodorants, hair mousses, hair gels and hair sprays were tested to see if they contained one or several of six different phthalates. A majority of the phthalates spread in the environment, and animal studies have shown they can harm reproductive capacity and foetal development. Effects include birth defects in the male reproductive organs and contamination of human breast milk.

One US study found the banned phthalate, DBP, in every person tested. Women aged 20 to 40 years old appeared to receive the highest exposures, up to 20 times greater than for the average person and, in some cases, above the federal safety standard.

Phthalates were found in 27 of 34 tested products (79%), and more than half of the products (53%) contained two or more phthalates. The amounts vary from a few parts per million to almost two percent of the product's composition. Products like Tresor eau de parfum, Rexona 24 h intensive (sold as Sure in the UK & US), Fructis Style Volume Mousse, and Elnett Satin Hair Spray contained high levels of several phthalates

"Chemicals that affect animal and human health in this way should not be in cosmetics at all. Many people are exposed to multiple doses every day from the range of cosmetics they use, while workers in the cosmetics and beauty industry face greater exposure," says Helen Lynn, Health Co-ordinator at Women´s Environmental Network. "Yet because the manufacturers don't have to list phthalates on the product label, it is impossible for the consumer to avoid them."

Two of the phthalates found, DEHP and DBP, are already banned from children's toys likely to be put in the mouth, and last Thursday (7 November) the European Commission also agreed they should be removed from cosmetic and personal care products. However, loopholes in the ruling may still allow them to be used for some time.

"The new EU-prohibition for two of the phthalates in cosmetics is an important step in the right direction. But we need to do more to protect people and the environment from this unnecessary risk. All phthalates in cosmetics and other products can add up to harm-a harm we can avoid if we get all phthalates out of all products," says Per Rosander, Project leader, Health Care Without Harm.

"Our survey shows that several manufacturers also sell products which do not contain phthalates. This means that there are cost-efficient phthalates-free manufacturing processes. Therefore we demand that the cosmetic industry immediately stop all use of phthalates and modify other production processes to end phthalate contamination," concludes Mikael Karlsson, Chairman of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.

Phthalates are a group of chemicals that are often used as softeners in PVC-plastic. In cosmetic manufacturing phthalates are used to enhance fragrances, and as solvents or denaturants for alcohols.