Phthalates are chemical plasticisers that hide behind the ingredient term "Parfum". They are not listed individually on the INCI list, which means you as a consumer cannot see whether a product contains them.
Products without synthetic fragrance automatically contain no phthalates, because phthalates only occur in synthetic fragrance formulas.
We use no synthetic fragrance. Our scents come from essential oils. No fragrance, no phthalates.
What are phthalates?
Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds used as plasticisers in plastics. In cosmetics they serve as a solvent or fixative in synthetic fragrance blends. They help make scents more volatile, more stable, or better adhering to the skin.
The problem is that phthalates in fragrance formulas are not listed individually on INCI lists. All fragrance components may be summarised under the term "Parfum" or "Fragrance", including any phthalates.
On INCI lists they are therefore invisible, unless a brand voluntarily provides full transparency about the fragrance composition.
Why are phthalates in fragrance?
Synthetic fragrance blends consist of dozens to hundreds of chemical compounds. Certain phthalates are used as a carrier or solvent because they are inexpensive, colourless and odourless, and can regulate the volatility of fragrance compounds.
Manufacturers are not required to list these compounds separately as long as they are part of the fragrance formula. This makes it virtually impossible for consumers to know whether a product contains phthalates without direct communication with the manufacturer.
- -DEP (diethyl phthalate): most common in fragrance
- -DBP (dibutyl phthalate): banned in EU cosmetics
- -DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate): banned in EU cosmetics
- -BBP (benzyl butyl phthalate): banned in EU cosmetics
How hidden are phthalates in cosmetics?
Phthalates are probably the most hidden ingredient in the cosmetics industry. The law does not require manufacturers to list fragrance components individually, as long as they are not known allergens that exceed the mandatory threshold.
This means a product with a long, impressive INCI list can still contain phthalates, simply because they are hidden behind "Parfum". Transparency about fragrance composition is the exception, not the rule.
The only way to be certain a product is phthalate-free: no synthetic fragrance in the formula.
Which phthalates are on our NO-list?
In addition to the three phthalates banned by the EU, we also avoid all other variants completely:
- -DEP (diethyl phthalate): most commonly used phthalate in fragrance, not banned but avoided
- -DMP (dimethyl phthalate): less common, same category
- -DBP, DEHP, BBP: legally banned, and avoided by us as well
We avoid all phthalates completely. Not as a marketing choice, but as a logical consequence of our choice for essential oils instead of synthetic fragrance.
Why does La Fuente Mía not use phthalates?
Our products contain no synthetic fragrance. That is the simplest way to be certain of the absence of phthalates, including the variants that the EU has not banned.
Scents in our body bars come exclusively from essential oils that are listed separately on the INCI list. What you see on the ingredient list is everything that is in it. No collective terms, no hidden substances.
View the full NO-list and ingredients.
Last updated: 6 March 2026