This particular ingredient is used widely by the cosmetic industry. DBP is considered safe for use having undergone stringent safety evaluation prior to market introduction. Hudgins and Wiles disagree about the significance of animal tests showing an increase in birth defects in male offspring when the adult parent was exposed to dibutyl phthalate. Wiles is concerned that industry representatives focus only on the doses received by test animals and neglect to focus on how different people respond differently to small doses of toxic ingredients. What we are doing with the human population is exposing tens of millions of women and potentially millions of unborn children.
Humans are far more susceptible to chemical injury than rats.
If you expose millions of genetically diverse humans to a toxin, you are going to get a much wider range of susceptibility than if you expose 100 genetically uniform rats. Consumers who use nail products may want to try cosmetics that contain no phthalates, toluene or formaldehyde. Brand names that have some products free of these chemicals include L'Or al , Revlon, Garden Botanika and Kiss Products. Consumers should urge manufacturers to reformulate their products with safer alternative ingredients and test their ingredients for cancer, reproductive, neurological and birth defect problems. Please include your phone number and a self-addressed stamped envelope.