The bathroom arsenal of bottles, tubes, cans, and compacts include cosmetics, bath oils, lotions, hair products, after shave, bubble bath and more. Many of these products contain chemical ingredients, from fragrances to foaming agents and preservatives to phthalates (pronunced 'THAL ates'). We use so much of these products that even low levels of a chemical in the product may add up to substancial exposure. The following are words of caution regarding phthalates in these products. 

Are you a woman who uses costmetics, hair sprays or body lotion? 
Chances are yes.

If YES, are you pregnant of planning to have a child?

If YES again, then the following information on phthalates is particularly important for you.

PHTHALATES in CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Phthalates are multi-purpose chemicals that give flexibility to plastic, helps nail polish to be tough, hair spray to hold and fragrance to last longer. So, it's a wide variety of cosmetics and bath and body products, even deodorant. We used to think most of our phthalate exposure was from food stored in plastic containers, but the emphasis is shifting to personal care products. Some European countries have already banned two phthalates from cosmetics but no such action has been taken in the U.S.

RISKS FROM PHTHALATES
The major risk is due to the endocrine-disruption caused by various phthalates. The can impair male sexual development during a critical period of growth in the womb. Recent human data suggest that these effects may be occurring at levels of exposure that are in common in the population. However, there is uncertainty regarding what these limited results mean in terms of the long-term sexual maturation of boys. And there is still uncertainty as to what are the greatest contributors to our phthalate exposure.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy want to do everything they can to have a healthy child. They may avoid smoking, drinking alcohol and fish that are high in mercury. Avoiding phthalates during pregnancy is another prudent action women can take to increase the odds of a completely healthy child. Since the phthalate level in consumer products is not on the label, only general advice is possible at this time. Pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant should consider decreasing the amount of cosmetics, hair spray and bath and body products they use. You may be able to find replacement products on sites that list phthalate-free products and companies committed to safer cosmetics.


FRAGRANCE
Fragrance is not just in perfume and not just for women. Its in many bath and body products marketed for men and women. Fragrances are not toxic in the true sense of the word, bu some are proven allergens causing reactions on the skin or in the airways. Unfortunately, this may affect not only the wearer, but also others in his/her wake. This can lead to problems at parties and other gatherings where a sensitive person may need to leave because someone's fragrance triggered their allergy leading to breathing difficulties. Some medical professionals question this kind of sensitivity attributing it to an individual dislike for or fear of stong scents. That may be true for some people, but for others an allergic reaction is possible.

If you have this problem or will be around such individuals you can lower your load of allergens by using fewer fragrance-laden products. Look for the label 'fragrance-free' or 'perfume-free,' but watch out for "unscented" because those products can have fragrances that are merely masked by other ingredients.

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