All About Phthalates

If you have been making soaps, candles, or body products for any amount of time you will undoubtedly have heard someone at some point mention phthalates. There is all sorts of information floating around on forums and by word of mouth surrounding phthalates and their uses and potential risks, but is this information accurate and reliable? Companies and crafters advertise items as phthalate-free like a badge of honor, but does it actually matter? The purpose behind this blog is to provide accurate information from reputable sources so that our customers can make informed decisions as to whether or not phthalates are of concern. This post is not designed to persuade, simply to inform.

What kind of phthalates are found in fragrance oils?
Diethyl Phthalate, or DEP, is a common solvent used in fragrance oils. DEP is found in all manners of plastic items such as toothbrushes, auto parts, food packaging, and toys.

Why is DEP used in fragrance oils?
DEP is one of the best solvents for candles, and is a good choice for soaps. DEP gives a strong scent throw and most fragrance ingredients readily dissolve in it. For fragrances that are heavy in ingredients such as ethyl maltol (pink sugar would be an example), DEP allows for more of the ingredient to be used thus making a stronger scent. If you smell a phthalate free and a non-phthalate free version of the same fragrance side by side, the non-phthalate free version will almost always have a stronger scent and better scent throw.

What are the health risks associated with DEP?
The only known health risk associated with DEP is the possibility of skin irritation if applied directly to the skin at high concentration. This poses no issue for soaping since the overall amount of fragrance oil is quite small compared to the amount of other ingredients. Unlike other phthalate compounds, DEP has not been shown to cause cancer or have any adverse reproductive or health effects in laboratory animals unless administered orally in very high concentrations (CDC, 1995). In other words, unless someone is going to drink a bottle of fragrance oil, there is little cause for concern.

Why is DEP classified as hazardous by the EPA?
As a major constituent of plastics manufacturing, DEP would be present in concentrations at a site where manufacturing was occurring that could cause environmental concern if there were to be a spill, improper disposal, burning of plastics, etc. DEP is found in many Superfund sites as the majority of these are industrial sites (CDC, 1995).

Why does Aromatic Apothecary Supplies not offer all fragrances in a phthalate-free version?
We believe in offering the highest quality fragrance oils to our customers. Part of this commitment to quality is that we want our oils to have the strongest scent throw possible. Some of our oils require DEP for this to be the case. This decision is based on the best available information from reputable sources such as the CDC, which indicates that while some phthalate compounds do pose health risks, DEP is not among them and poses no risk.

Reference:

1. Public Health Statement for Diethyl Phthalate (1995, June). In Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, CDC.gov. Retrieved from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=601&tid=112