Phthalates in cosmetics: why it's flagged
Short answer
Phthalates is flagged by Olive Detective as a high concern in cosmetics. Plasticiser/solvent; endocrine disruptor (several banned in the EU). The flag is class-level and precautionary, based on EU Cosmetics Regulation Annex II (DBP, DEHP banned) — it describes the ingredient class, not the safety of any particular product.
What the concern is
- Endocrine concern — the class has been examined for hormone-disrupting activity.
How it appears on an INCI list
Cosmetic labels use INCI names, which are standardised worldwide, so the same wording appears on a product bought anywhere. This class is matched on diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate, phthalate.
Pregnancy
This ingredient carries a avoid flag in the app’s pregnancy-safe mode. With that mode on, a product containing it shows a warning banner and its personalised score is hard-capped. This is precautionary guidance drawn from regulatory positions, not medical advice — a midwife or doctor is the right person to ask about your own routine.
How it affects the score
Cosmetic scoring follows the Yuka method: a product with only green and yellow ingredients has its score floored at 50, any orange ingredient caps it below 50, and any red caps it below 25. This ingredient is red, so it caps a product's score below 25 on its own.
Source: EU Cosmetics Regulation Annex II (DBP, DEHP banned)
Other cosmetic ingredients we flag
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