What are phthalates?

As of lately, a lot of people have been asking us about phthalates (said thal-ates). It seems everywhere, you see "phthalate-free" or "contains no phthalates". We know they're obviously bad, but what are they?

In short, phthalates are used as a plasticizer in many products, although they are being used less and less in the last few years ever since their alleged health concerns have been discovered. For those that are not sure what a plasticizer is, it is something that is added to plastic material in different amounts to make it more stretchy and pliable.

Although there are some studies that cast doubt upon the fears of harm caused by phthalates, a majority of companies are starting to phase them out of use in production to ease weary consumers. Many toy manufacturers are following suit in this crusade as well.

So the bottom line is this. There are more and more toy manufacturers out there that are discontinuing use of phthalates in the production process. Whether phthalates actually pose a significant threat in such small quantities is still up for debate, so using your own judgement when purchasing anything is the best bet.

If you have any more questions, feel free to post them below. In the meantime, happy shopping!