Teach Soap

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Debbie Chialtas

- [i]

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

We've been going through our fragrances, one by one, and so far, only the new one Red Lychee Tea has any Phthalates but we're only about 50% of the way through the fragrances. Update! We now have a complete list of phthalate free fragrances from Bramble Berry. We will post it on the web site soon - but in the meantime you can email us at info@brambleberry.com and we will send the list to you directly.

Here is a very long winded response to Phthalates issues that I just found in my files. I did not write it or compile the information but it's a good starting point to make your own informed decision on Phthalates:

Fragrance Materials Association (FMA) "The Truth About Phthalates" PDF,
November 12, 2007 http://tinyurl.com/2bomoo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalates

15 page PDF titled "Essentials to Know About Phthalates"
http://www.phthalates.org/pdfs/All_About_Phthalates.pdf

Happi Magazine Feb 4, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/29zll4
Statement by John Bailey, Chief Scientist The Personal Care Products Council Response to study on phthalate exposure in baby care products

The results of this study suggesting a link between the use of baby lotion,
shampoo, and powder and the presence of phthalates in infants do not make sense because only one of the seven phthalate compounds reported is even used in baby care products.

The one phthalate that is sometimes found in baby care products is diethyl
phthalate (DEP). DEP, which is a component of some fragrance preparations, may be present at very low levels in baby care products. No other phthalates are used in fragrance ingredients. Both the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel, an independent, nonprofit panel of scientists and physicians who assess the safety of personal care product ingredients in the U.S., and the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP), the body that advises the European Union Commission on safety matters related to cosmetics, determined DEP to be safe.

http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/news/ng.asp?id=81862


The debate over the safety of certain synthetic cosmetic ingredients remains unresolved and the search for the truth is hampered for consumers and manufacturers alike by the spreading of misinformation from interested parties on both sides of the argument.

http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/news/ng.asp?id=83046

The scientists did admit in the study that it was impossible to determine
whether or not baby care products contained the parent compounds of the
phthalates detected as under US law manufacturers are not required to state whether or not phthalates appear in products.

http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/news/ng.asp?id=81468

http://www.fmafragrance.org/sub_pages/0 ... alates.pdf

Now, there are also a LOT more links from Body Burden, Our Stolen Future, Organic Life, and many other organizations with completely differing information and points of view. It all goes back to what one of the above articles ended with:

"The debate over the safety of certain synthetic cosmetic ingredients remains unresolved and the search for the truth is hampered for consumers and manufacturers alike by the spreading of misinformation from interested parties on both sides of the argument.

Each person will have to study and make their own choices.

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Happy Soaping!

Anne-Marie
blog: www.soap-queen.blogspot.com
supplies: www.brambleberry.com

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Goldenearthgirl

Ok, since this thread is around 2 years old almost now, any updates? I know some companies are saying "phthalate free" ...and those companies tend to be priced "normally" however, I have found a company, I think through this websites....not brambleberry, but I think maybe someone mentioned them. Anyways, they are closer to me so less shipping and alot of their fragrances are very affordable/inexpensive ....many are around $13.95 for a lb. It seems to be a pretty popular company, and I haven't heard/read any complaints. Anyways, they have listed for each fragrance if it is "phthalate free" and or "nitro-musk free". So my question is, I have been reading what I could find online, and in this forum....it still leaves me right where I was before.

If I am understanding, the only type of P-- in fragrances is generally considered safe and is even in baby products. So....what is everyone's opinion. I don't know if I should go with the cheaper fragrances (like I said I don't doubt it's a good company...and they have a HUGE selection of fragrances) that has fragrances that aren't specified to be "Phthalate free" or pay twice as much for ones that are. I guess maybe it's a personal decision of preference, but since I have been trying to research and I feel like I'm goin in circles, I thought maybe one of you could shed some light.
And what on earth is nitro-musk? lolol

Oh great....another one. Sorry, haven't researched nitro musk yet. No one wants "dangerous" ingredients in their products. But I'd also like to put this in context. There seems to be no definitive study. I have been happy that the industries we use have stepped up to the plate and are offering many phalate free fos. Keep in mind that the scent is usually one of the smallest ingredients in your product and that the phalate is a small ingredient of the fo. So by the time it is spread out in say 12 bars per batch of soap, it's even a smaller amount. I just want to point this out so that we are looking at this from all sides.

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You may be only one person to the world, but you may also be the world to one person

I agree completely. For now I have decided to carry Phthalate free fragrances...but that is a great point you make. To be honest, as a consumer, I had NEVER heard of that word before I started buying my own FO's. And I think the majority of the people aren't going to care...but, since I am just starting out. I decided to go ahead and buy them that way to begin with, so that I am not going to have to make a change later on if they ever did prove anything one way or the other. One side is that, like you said, it is a very small part of a small part of your products, and I have read that the one in FO's is actually not one of the one's they are referring to when they are talking about the really bad stuff. On the other hand today, I talked to two reps from two different companies who assured me that P free is the way to go (although they never did give me a definative answer why). So yeh...i'm still as in the dark as I was before lol.

If anything, phthalates have been somewhat vindicated in the last two years. No primate studies have proven any link between phthlaltes and human reproductive health issues (only rat ones) and the EU just came out and said bisphenol A (BPA) is safe after reviewing 800 different studies on it. With regards to our industry, most cosmetic companies have been slowly taking DEP, the most common phthalate in fragrance oils, out of their products because of the perception of safety.

In fragrance oils, the most common additive is diethyl phthalate (DEP). It is used as a carrier for fragrance and to help the scent last longer. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessment declared it as ‘safe.’ The Environment Canada Domestic Substance list has deemed this ingredient to be a low human health concern. The EPA has classified it as not a human carcinogen. The EU Commission on Endocrine Disruption was concerned because rats had been adversely affected by it (though monkeys had not). IFRA allows this as a safe fragrance oil additive. The EPA requires that spills of DEP over 1,000 pounds or more be reported to them.

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Happy Soaping!

Anne-Marie
blog: www.soap-queen.blogspot.com
supplies: www.brambleberry.com