After years of speculation from various groups that cosmetics and personal care products containing diethyl (DEP) and dibutyl (DBP) phthalates were dangerous, a human study has found no such link. Danish reporters conducted the study with 26 male volunteers to establish whether these phthalates cause any changes to male reproductive and thyroid hormones. Over a one week period the volunteers were smeared with a lotion containing DEP, DBP and another chemical used in cosmetics.

Maria Stanley, Manager of the American Chemistry Council’s Phthalate Esters Panel stated in a press release that, “Now we have direct, human evidence from a real laboratory test in which phthalates did not influence the levels of key hormones.”

The ingredients, DEP and DBP are used in fragrances and nail polish respectively. The result of the study conducted at Bispebjerg Hospital in Denmark was published in the Environmental Science and Technology journal.