Phthalates in Skin Care Products: Why Bonjout Avoids Them

By Dr. Natacha Bonjout, Pharm.D. in Physiology of Skin Complexion, trained at the Chanel research labs in Paris.

Here is the short answer.

Phthalates are not one ingredient. They are a family of chemicals, and they do not all carry the same risk. Several are banned from cosmetics in Europe and restricted in the United States. One of them, DEP, is still used in fragrance, and the FDA has no safety concerns about it at the levels used today.

Bonjout formulates without all of them. Not because every phthalate is dangerous, but because none of them makes a formula better.

Here is what you need to know.

What Are Phthalates?

Phthalates are a family of chemicals made from phthalic acid. They have been used since the twentieth century to make plastic softer and more flexible.

Three come up most often in cosmetics:

• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) kept nail polish from turning brittle.

• Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) helped hair spray form a flexible film.

• Diethyl phthalate (DEP) works as a solvent and fixative, so a scent lasts longer on skin.

Different compounds, different jobs, different safety records.

Are Phthalates Still Used in Skin Care Products?

Yes, but far less than before. In its most recent survey of the market, the FDA found that DBP and DMP are now rare in cosmetics, and that DEP is the only phthalate still commonly used.

You are most likely to find one in perfume, nail products, hair products, cleansers, and other scented personal care products.

What Are the Health Risks of Phthalates in Beauty Products?

They come from the plastics side of the family, not the fragrance side.

Several phthalates used in plastics, including DEHP, DBP, and BBP, are classified in Europe as toxic for reproduction, and the European Union has prohibited them in cosmetics since 2004. In the United States, eight phthalates are prohibited above 0.1% in children's toys and child-care articles.

The dangers of phthalates in cosmetics are specific, not general. They apply to named compounds, in named product categories, for documented reasons.

What Does the FDA Say About Phthalates in Cosmetics?

The FDA has no evidence that phthalates, as they are used in cosmetics today, pose a safety risk. It states specifically that it has no safety concerns about DEP at the levels used in cosmetics and fragrance.

The FDA reviews new research as it appears.

Are Phthalates Endocrine Disruptors?

Some are. Not all.

Endocrine disruptors are substances that mimic or block the body's own hormones. The phthalates with the strongest evidence for those effects are the ones regulators have already restricted. DEP, the one still used in fragrance, is not among them.

Can Phthalates Irritate Your Skin?

Not usually. Skin irritation is not the main reason phthalates are studied.

If a scented product leaves your skin red or itchy, the cause is far more likely to be one of the many components of the fragrance itself. Stop using the product. If the reaction continues, see your dermatologist.

Why Phthalates Hide Behind the Word "Fragrance"

US labeling rules require every ingredient to be listed, with one exception. The components of a scent can be declared together as "fragrance" or "parfum," and a single scent can contain dozens of them.

So the label often cannot tell you whether a phthalate is present. That is why phthalate-free claims exist at all.

Phthalates and the Environment

Phthalates are not permanently bound to the materials that carry them, so they migrate out over time and end up in household dust, water, and soil.

Some raise real concerns for aquatic life. Others do not.

How to Avoid Phthalates: A Guide to Phthalate-Free Skin Care

If you want to avoid phthalates, or endocrine disruptors in skin care more generally, four things help.

1. Read the ingredient list. Named phthalates such as dibutyl phthalate appear directly on the label.

2. Look for products labeled phthalate-free. This is the simplest option if avoiding them matters to you.

3. Choose brands that are transparent about fragrance. U.S. cosmetic labels can declare fragrance ingredients collectively as “fragrance” rather than identifying every component individually. This means the ingredient list alone may not tell you whether DEP is present. If avoiding phthalates matters to you, look for an explicit phthalate-free statement from the brand.

4. Do not assume "natural" means phthalate-free. Natural and synthetic describe where an ingredient comes from, not how safe it is.

   Brands That Offer Phthalate-Free Beauty Products

   If you are looking for phthalate-free skin care or beauty products, a number of brands offer options formulated without them. The list below includes brands identified in our original research as offering phthalate-free products.

   Formulas and product ranges can change, so if avoiding phthalates is important to you, check the current ingredient list and look for an explicit phthalate-free statement from the brand.

   Examples include: Bonjout Beauty — Le Balm, Avalon Organics Botanicals, Ecco Bella, Kiss My Face, Origins, Physicians Formula, Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value, Alpha-H, Amika, Anastasia Beverly Hills, APIVITA, Aveda, bareMinerals, Benefit, Bumble and bumble, Burt's Bees, Cantu, Clinique, Darphin, Drunk Elephant, e.l.f., FARMACY, Farsali, Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, First Aid Beauty, Florence by Mills, Frank Body, IMAGE Skincare, Isle of Paradise, Juice Beauty, K18, Kevyn Aucoin, Lash Star Beauty, Living Proof, L'Oréal Paris, L'Oréal Professionnel, Lumene, Milk Makeup, Moroccanoil, Murad, Olaplex, OUAI, Paula's Choice, REN, RevitaLash, Rituals, Sol de Janeiro, STARSKIN, Stila, St. Tropez, Supergoop!, TAN-LUXE, Tanologist, Tarte Cosmetics, This Works, Vapour Beauty, Virtue, Weleda, and Wishful.

Why Bonjout Formulates Without Phthalates

Europe sets the strictest cosmetic regulation in the world. We exclude ingredients it still allows.

Phthalates are the clearest example. Europe banned DBP, DEHP, and BBP from cosmetics in 2004. It still permits DEP, the one used in fragrance, and its scientific committee considers it safe at current levels. We leave that one out too.

Bonjout excludes over 2,200 ingredients in total. Le Balm is an 8-in-1 solid serum that supports the skin barrier with 68 actives. It is formulated without phthalates, parabens, silicones, mineral oil, phenoxyethanol, and synthetic fragrance. La Cream is an all-in-one moisturizer designed for skin longevity, and it is formulated from the same exclusion list. Both score 100/100 on Yuka.

We do not need phthalates to achieve the performance, stability, texture, or sensorial experience we want from either formula. So we do not use them.

Why Choose Phthalate-Free Beauty Products?

Because it settles the question in one step.

The phthalates with real evidence behind them are restricted, and they are not the one still used in skin care. But if you would rather not track which compou

nd sits in which product, a phthalate-free formula does that work for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are phthalates used for in cosmetics? As solvents, fragrance fixatives, plasticizers, and film-forming aids, depending on the product. DEP is the one still commonly used, mostly in fragrance.

Are phthalates banned in cosmetics? In Europe, several are, including DBP, DEHP, and BBP. In the United States, restrictions apply to specific compounds in specific categories, such as children's toys and child-care articles. DEP, the one used in fragrance, is still permitted on both sides of the Atlantic.

Can phthalates be hidden under "fragrance"? Yes. US labels can declare a scent as "fragrance" or "parfum" without listing what is inside it, so a fragrance can contain DEP without naming it. Not every fragrance does.

Are all phthalates endocrine disruptors? No. The evidence for hormonal and reproductive effects is strongest for the phthalates used in plastics, not for the one used in cosmetics.

Are Le Balm and La Cream phthalate-free? Yes. Neither formula contains phthalates. Bonjout excludes over 2,200 ingredients in total.

The Bonjout Take

Not every ingredient we leave out is dangerous. Every ingredient we put in has to earn its place.

Beyond Europe. Beyond clean.

Learn More

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