In January 2024, LANUV detected a degradation product of the concerning plasticizer Di-n-hexyl phthalate in urine samples from children aged 2 to 6. Recent studies also provide evidence for this: In the current children and youth study ALISE-Study on Environmental Health ("Aligned Study for Environmental Health"), 259 urine samples from 6 to 17-year-olds from April to July 2025 were analyzed. The metabolite MnHexP was found in 92 percent of the samples. Since then, many parents have been unsettled. Under suspicion: a particularly effective UV filter in sunscreens.
Most importantly: Since our products are certified natural cosmetics, in which the suspected UV filter DHHB (Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Benzoate) is not allowed to be included anyway, you don't need to worry about our products. Nevertheless, we also want to comment on this topic and have summarized the most important information for you concisely.
- What are plasticizers?
- Why are plasticizers concerning?
- What are MnHexP and DnHexP?
- Plasticizers in sunscreen: Which UV filter is under suspicion?
- Sunscreen without plasticizers - what you should pay attention to
What are plasticizers?
Plasticizers are chemical substances that impart flexibility and plasticity, especially to plastics. They are used in a variety of products, from packaging to cosmetics. In sunscreens, they are used to improve texture.
Why are plasticizers concerning?
Over time, these so-called plasticizers can leach out of products and enter the environment. Here, they can of course be absorbed by humans. Plasticizers, which include the described phthalates as well as parabens, are suspected of causing hormonal disruptions and thus affecting health.
What are MnHexP and DnHexP?
Mono-n-hexyl phthalate (MnHexP) is the degradation product of Di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHexP), a substance that has been on the list of substances of very high concern since 2013. For this reason, this metabolite is no longer permitted as a plasticizer in cosmetics, food contact materials, and toys, among other things, throughout Europe.
Despite the ban, Mono-n-hexyl phthalate was detected in more than 60% of the urine samples examined (2020/21). A precise cause or source of the detected MnHexP contamination in the urine of the children examined could not yet be found.
Plasticizers in sunscreen: Which UV filter is under suspicion?
There is a suspicion that the UV filter DHHB, which is partly used in sunscreens, has been contaminated with DnHexP. In the search for possible sources of the concerning finding, the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office Karlsruhe (CVUA) therefore examined 57 different sunscreen products from 2020 to 2023 for their DnHexP content.
Indeed, DnHexP from 0.3 to 16 mg/kg was detected in 21 of 57 samples where the UV filter DHHB was also used. However, not all samples with the UV filter DHHB were contaminated with DnHexP, so a correlation between the phthalate content and the UV filter could not be confirmed.
Furthermore, during the LANUV investigations, values above the detection limit were also found in children without explicit use of sunscreen products. It is suspected that, in addition to sunscreen products, other sources, such as clothing, plastic toys, or house dust, may be responsible for the MnHexP contamination. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) also sees "no reason for increased concern" after the survey.
Sunscreen without plasticizers - what you should pay attention to
If you still want to be on the safe side, we recommend that you pay close attention to the ingredients when buying your sunscreen products - or simply use certified natural cosmetics. Because certified natural cosmetics do without both phthalates and parabens and can therefore be used without hesitation in this context.
Our purely mineral UV filter from zinc oxide also works immediately without any waiting time and is therefore ideal for safe sun protection for babies and children.
Sources:
New studies confirm the link between plasticizers in children's urine and the use of sunscreens, State of NRW, 25.02.2025 https://www.land.nrw/pressemitteilung/neue-untersuchungen-bestaetigen-zusammenhang-zwischen-weichmachern-kinderurin-und
New findings of plasticizer in children's urine. Press release of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia, January 31, 2024 https://www.lanuv.nrw.de/landesamt/veroeffentlichungen/pressemitteilungen/details/4157-neue-funde-von-weichmacher-im-kinderurin#:~:text=Bei%20einer%20verdachtsbezogenen%20Untersuchung%20im,dem%20Zeitraum%202020%2F21%20gefunden
Plasticizer metabolite MnHexP in children's urine. Press release of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia, March 13, 2024 https://www.lanuv.nrw.de/landesamt/veroeffentlichungen/pressemitteilungen/details/4225-weichmachermetabolit-mnhexp-im-kinderurin
Determination of pollutants and pollutant metabolites in the urine of 2- to 6-year-old children in North Rhine-Westphalia: Follow-up examination by LANUV for the plasticizer metabolite Mono-n-hexyl phthalate (MnHexP). Report of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia, V.01/2024 https://www.lanuv.nrw.de/fileadmin/lanuv/gesundheit/pdf/2024/2024-01_Nachuntersuchung_DnHexP.pdf
Finding of a plasticizer in urine samples - Questions & Answers. Information from the Federal Environment Agency, February 06, 2024 https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/fund-eines-weichmachers-in-urinproben-fragen
Prohibited plasticizer as a contaminant in sunscreens? – First examination results. CVUA Karlsruhe, March 04, 2024 https://www.ua-bw.de/pub/beitrag.asp?subid=2&Thema_ID=4&ID=3940&lang=DE&Pdf=No
Children and adolescents still exposed to banned plasticizer in 2025. Federal Environment Agency, 2025. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/kinder-jugendliche-auch-2025-verbotenem-weichmacher
