What are Phthalates?

Phthalates are a family of man-made industrial chemicals that are in a variety of consumer products, such as toys, cosmetics, cleaning products, and food packaging. They are often used to make plastic more durable or break down other materials. They are also used in creating artificial fragrance and flavoring. 

What are the health concerns? 

They are known to be endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with the body’s hormone system. Since our hormones play an important role in the development of the body’s organs, exposure to phthalates can lead to developmental issues, fertility problems, and an increased risk of certain cancers. Additionally, studies have shown that these chemicals can cause a range of health issues, such as asthma, allergies, and learning disabilities. 

How do I know if my product contains phthalates? 

Most companies hide phthalates from their ingredient listings, it is not currently a required regulation to list them. When examining your products, look for any type of artificial fragrance or flavoring, as these contain phthalates. 

If the label does not contain "phthalate-free" then it is likely the product has them. 

Do any of Rustic Strengths products contain phthalates? 

Our brand will never use phthalates in the making of the products themself or our packaging.

Our plastic containers in samples size, half gallon, gallon and five gallon are all food-grade HDPE plastic, all of which do not contain phthalates. Our 12oz and 16oz plastic bottles are PET plastic, which do not contain phthalates. For those looking to avoid plastic entirely, we also offer glass half gallon and gallon containers. 

While we primarily scent our products with essential oils, we do offer a selection of certified phthalate-free fragrance oils in our custom-built section. These fragrances are also California Proposition 65 compliant. That means they do not contain chemicals recognized on the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment list known to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm ( such as parabens, dyes, formaldehyde and more ).

We invite you to do your own research! 

Scientific journals and articles are the foundation of evidence-based decisions at Rustic Strength. Blogs can provide helpful information. However, if it can not cite scientific articles, its claims stand on little. 

What are phthalates used for - https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html

Range of health issues - https://noharm-uscanada.org/issues/us-canada/phthalates-and-dehp#:~:text=Phthalates%2C%20a%20family%20of%20industrial,%2C%20lungs%2C%20and%20reproductive%20system.

Fragrances or Flavorings - https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/phthalates-cosmetics#:~:text=Consumers%20can%20tell%20whether%20some,may%20be%20listed%20as%20such.

Phthalates - https://petresin.org/the-science-behind-pet/#:~:text=PET%20contains%20no%20phthalates

California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment Prop 65 List - https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/proposition-65-list