plas•tic al•ba•tross
(plas-tik lb-tros)

1. The Plastic Albatross is a community-focused campaign that provides helpful information about toxins in PLASTICS and other household products, and how these substances affect our health and environment.

2. We encourage local families, businesses, and organizations to limit their exposure to and consumption of plastic and commonly used toxic chemicals to work toward a toxin-free future!

May
03
2010

Widening Tide

by The Plastic Albatross
Filed under: Chemicals, Household, Products
Tags: , ,

detergentsRecent studies from Mount Sinai Center have linked phthalates to OBESITY, especially in young children.

Phthalates, a type of endocrine disruptor, are untested, unregulated chemical additives that are used to intensify chemical fragrances in cosmetics and personal care products. Additional research links phthalate exposure to ASTHMA, CANCER, and REPRODUCTIVE DYSFUNCTION.

Most personal care products contain chemical fragrances.

Even some so-called “fragrance-free” brands use a chemical masking fragrance to cover up the original fragrance.

Be wary of the ingredient FRAGRANCE. It is used to denote a combination of toxic compounds, including phthalates.  Phthalates and other chemical additives are difficult to avoid, because manufacturers are not required to list them on the label. Under current law, they can be simply be listed as “fragrance”.

Avoid chemical fragrance by:

  • Buying chemical-free detergents, like Ecover, Seventh Generation or Soap Nuts.
  • Avoiding chemically-laden detergents and fabric softeners, like Tide and Downy.
  • Purchasing products that say “phthalate-free” and do not list “fragrance.”
  • Looking up your products on CosmeticsDatabase.com to see the toxicity ratings.
  • Identifying phthalates by their chemical names, or abbreviations: DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate), DEP (diethyl phthalate), DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate), DMP (dimethyl phthalate)
  • Choosing perfumes made from organic essential oils.

Learn More

Find out more about Phthalates under the Get Informed section of this site.

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