Phthalates
Plasticisers that keep vinyl soft and make a scent linger, usually undeclared. They are among the best studied endocrine disruptors and they are rarely named, because the fragrance exemption covers them. Softness and staying power are the tells.
Definition and health context from NIEHS.
We checked 3,681 products and found phthalates reported or likely in 1 of them.
Where phthalates turns up
Categories we grade, worst first, as a share of what we scored in each.
| Category | Flagged | Scored | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic Color Products | 11 | 15 | 73% |
| Insulated Drink Tumblers & Travel Mugs | 4 | 15 | 27% |
| Nail Polish & Top Coat | 4 | 15 | 27% |
| Deli Meat & Cold Cuts Packaging | 3 | 15 | 20% |
| Insulated Travel Mugs | 2 | 15 | 13% |
| Scrubs | 1 | 8 | 13% |
| Microwave Popcorn | 2 | 20 | 10% |
| Phone Cases | 4 | 52 | 8% |
| Hand Sanitizer | 1 | 15 | 7% |
| Insulated Drink Tumblers | 1 | 15 | 7% |
| Food Storage Containers | 1 | 15 | 7% |
| Non-Stick Knife Sets | 1 | 15 | 7% |
| Lunch Boxes | 2 | 34 | 6% |
| Tampons | 2 | 43 | 5% |
Where we found real evidence
Reported or likely, lowest scoring first. Not plausibility.
Industry testing has confirmed PFAS in period pad waterproof layers; OB's Capri Plus does not disclose whether its leak-guard uses PFAS, phthalates, or other polymers. This is graded separately but represents the single largest chemical exposure point in this
What to buy instead
Highest scoring products with no flag for it, in the categories where it is worst.
How to spot phthalates yourself
What is actually visible to someone holding the product, which for most of these is the only check available.
- The word "fragrance" or "parfum", which is where they most often sit and where disclosure is not required.
- Vinyl that is soft and flexible rather than rigid, including shower curtains, flooring and cheap bags.
- A scent that lasts unusually long, because that is partly what they are there to do.
- DEHP, DBP, DINP, DEP or BBP if a full ingredient list is published, which is rare.
Where it turns up outside our data
Fragrance in almost any category, soft vinyl, personal care, and some food packaging and processing equipment.
What the rules actually say
Eight are permanently banned from children's toys and childcare articles in the United States under the CPSIA. The European Union restricts several in cosmetics outright. In United States personal care the fragrance exemption means a product can contain them and never name them, which is the single reason this hazard is so hard to check.
Read alongside NIEHS and our state by state guide to PFAS bans.
Common questions
What is phthalates?
Plasticisers that keep vinyl soft and make a scent linger, usually undeclared. They are among the best studied endocrine disruptors and they are rarely named, because the fragrance exemption covers them. Softness and staying power are the tells.
Which products contain phthalates?
Of the 3,681 products we have graded, 57 are flagged for it and 1 on reported or likely evidence rather than plausibility. Cosmetic Color Products is the worst category at 73% of what we scored there.
Is phthalates in cosmetic color products?
More than in anything else we grade. 11 of the 15 cosmetic color products we scored carry a flag for it, which is 73%. The full breakdown per product is on each product page.
What can I buy instead?
In the categories where it turns up most, the highest scoring products with no flag for it are MAC MAC Studio Matte Overlacquer at 90, Yeti Rambler Tumbler YETI at 80, Contigo Contigo Autoseal West Loop Stainless Steel Travel Mug at 75. Every one of those was graded on the same rubric as the products above.
How can I tell if a product has phthalates in it?
The word "fragrance" or "parfum", which is where they most often sit and where disclosure is not required. Vinyl that is soft and flexible rather than rigid, including shower curtains, flooring and cheap bags. A scent that lasts unusually long, because that is partly what they are there to do. It turns up in fragrance in almost any category, soft vinyl, personal care, and some food packaging and processing equipment.
Is phthalates banned?
Eight are permanently banned from children's toys and childcare articles in the United States under the CPSIA. The European Union restricts several in cosmetics outright. In United States personal care the fragrance exemption means a product can contain them and never name them, which is the single reason this hazard is so hard to check.
How do you know?
We do not lab test. Every grade here is built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third party lab results where those already exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so, and where a brand publishes nothing we score the silence rather than guessing.
2% of everything we grade carries a flag for phthalates. See every hazard we track or browse the full products list.