Phthalates & Pregnancy Blood Pressure: What the Study Means
Key Takeaways
- A new 2026 study in the Journal of the Endocrine Society found that pregnant women with higher urinary levels of personal-care-product phthalates had elevated blood pressure, and a large 2024 ECHO program study linked phthalate exposure to increased risk of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.
- Phthalates are endocrine disruptors (meaning they can interfere with your hormones) and are commonly found in fragranced personal care products, plastics, and vinyl materials.
- Swapping to fragrance-free, phthalate-free personal care products and glass food storage is one of the most accessible ways to reduce exposure during pregnancy.
A new study published in August 2026 added something important to what researchers already knew about phthalates: these chemicals, found in everything from shampoo to plastic food containers, may be linked to elevated blood pressure during pregnancy — and earlier research ties them to gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.
TL;DR:
- Higher phthalate exposure during pregnancy is associated with elevated blood pressure, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia, per a new 2026 study and a large 2024 ECHO program study.
- Fragranced personal care products are a primary exposure route you can reduce starting today.
- Switching to fragrance-free products and glass food storage are the highest-impact swaps for most pregnant women.
Why Does This Matter More Than You Might Think?
Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are serious complications, and phthalates are one modifiable exposure linked to both.
Preeclampsia affects 5–8% of all pregnancies in the United States and is a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death, according to ACOG. When a study links a common, avoidable chemical to these conditions, it deserves a close read.
Most of us encounter phthalates daily without realizing it. They hide inside the word "fragrance" on a label, in the flexible plastic wrap around your leftovers, and in the shampoo you use every morning. Reducing exposure doesn't require a complete lifestyle overhaul. But it does require knowing where to look.
What Did the New Study Actually Find?
The Study Design and Results
The new study, published August 2026 in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, followed 338 pregnant women in the Environmental Reproductive and Glucose Outcomes (ERGO) Study, measuring blood pressure and urinary phthalate metabolites (the small molecules your body produces when it breaks down phthalate chemicals) at three points during pregnancy. Women with higher concentrations of fragrance- and personal-care-product-associated phthalates had elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and roughly 13% of participants went on to develop a pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder, according to the Endocrine Society.
Lead researcher Kimberly Parra, PhD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, put it plainly: "Our study suggests that having higher concentrations of personal care products-associated chemicals, known as phthalates, in the body might contribute to elevated blood pressure in pregnancy."
This isn't a one-off finding. A large 2024 analysis from the ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) Program, covering 3,430 pregnancies across eight US study sites, found that a quartile increase in combined phthalate mixture exposure was associated with a 27% increased risk of preeclampsia or eclampsia.
What this means for your family: If you use fragranced shampoos, lotions, or cleaning sprays daily, you may be absorbing phthalates in amounts measurable in your urine, and potentially relevant to blood pressure.
When Does Exposure Matter Most?
Phthalates clear from the body within days, so what matters most is your ongoing daily exposure — and reducing it at any point in pregnancy lowers your load almost immediately.
The 2026 study tracked blood pressure across all three trimesters, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy typically emerge in the second half of pregnancy. Because phthalates don't build up in the body long-term, the products you use every day, from shampoo to cleaning spray, drive your exposure level week to week. Starting swaps early gives you the most protection, but starting them mid-pregnancy still meaningfully reduces your daily load.
What this means for your family: If you're trying to conceive or in your first trimester, prioritizing a swap away from fragranced products now is the most protective timing — but it's never too late in pregnancy for the swap to count.
What Are Phthalates, and Why Are They in So Many Products?
What Is the Plain-English Explanation of How Phthalates Work?
Phthalates are synthetic plasticizer and fragrance-fixative chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with your hormone system, including estrogen and progesterone signaling.
Phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are a family of synthetic chemicals used to make plastics flexible and to help fragrance last longer on skin. They're endocrine disruptors, a term that means they can interfere with your body's hormone system, including estrogen and progesterone signaling, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
In women, phthalate exposure has been associated with disruption of estrogen and progesterone, irregular menstrual cycles, endometriosis, PCOS, and reduced ovarian reserve. During pregnancy specifically, phthalates have been linked to preterm birth and genital development problems in baby boys.
SCRUNCHY MOM TIP: "Fragrance" on any ingredient label, whether it's on shampoo, lotion, a candle, or a dryer sheet, is a legal catch-all term that can conceal dozens of undisclosed chemicals including phthalates. Choosing products labeled "fragrance-free" (not just "unscented") is the fastest filter you can apply.
Where Are Phthalates Hiding in Everyday Products?
Phthalates appear in a wider range of household products than most people expect, from personal care items to flexible plastics and laundry products.
Phthalates show up in a wider range of products than most people expect:
- Fragranced personal care products: shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, perfume, deodorant
- Flexible plastics: food wrap, plastic containers labeled #3 PVC, vinyl flooring
- Baby products: some wipes, lotions, and diaper creams
- Laundry products: scented detergents and dryer sheets
The FDA confirms that phthalates like DEP are used in fragranced cosmetics and that fragrance components can appear on the label under the single word "fragrance" rather than being listed individually, making fragranced products one of the most accessible exposure points to address.
How Do You Actually Reduce Phthalate Exposure During Pregnancy?
Which Personal Care Products Have the Highest Phthalate Impact?
Fragranced personal care products are the highest-impact phthalate exposure category for most pregnant women, because skin absorption occurs daily across multiple products.
Skin absorbs what you put on it, and most pregnant women apply multiple personal care products daily. Switching to fragrance-free, phthalate-free formulations in this category delivers the biggest measurable reduction in exposure.
Start here this week: Audit your shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and deodorant. If any list "fragrance" as an ingredient, those are the first to swap.
Good/better/best options for deodorant:
- Good: Any fragrance-free, aluminum-free stick clearly labeled phthalate-free
- Better: Native (Unscented) Deodorant — aluminum-free, paraben-free, and phthalate-free, with strong reviews for sensitive skin
- Best: A fully certified-clean option verified through EWG's Skin Deep database
Food Storage: The Kitchen Swap That Costs Less Than You Think
Plastic food containers, especially when heated in a microwave or run through a dishwasher repeatedly, can leach phthalates and other plasticizers into food. Swapping to glass is a durable, one-time investment.
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Pyrex glass containers are a budget-accessible classic that hold up in the freezer, oven, and microwave without leaching.
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OXO Smart Seal glass containers offer leakproof lids and borosilicate glass that handles temperature extremes well.
If you're on a tight budget, start with one glass container for leftovers you reheat, and don't stress yet about replacing everything at once.
Cleaning Products: Fragrance-Free Matters Here Too
Scented cleaning sprays carry the same risk that fragranced personal care products do. If your cleaning routine involves products with a "fresh" or "clean" scent, those fragrances can contain the same undisclosed phthalate compounds found in your shampoo and lotion.
The Scrunchy Living Multi-Surface Concentrate is EWG Verified, free of synthetic fragrance and quats, and one concentrate handles every surface in the home at a simple 1:11 dilution — comparable in cost to conventional name-brand cleaners while being dramatically safer.
If you only do one thing from this section, do this: Replace your all-purpose kitchen and bathroom spray with a fragrance-free, verified non-toxic option before you get further into your pregnancy.
Phthalate Exposure by Category: Quick-Reference Guide
| Exposure Source | Risk Level | Easiest Swap |
|---|---|---|
| Fragranced personal care products | High (daily skin absorption) | Fragrance-free shampoo, lotion, deodorant |
| Plastic food containers (heated) | Moderate-High | Glass storage (Pyrex, OXO) |
| Fragranced cleaning sprays | Moderate | EWG Verified fragrance-free concentrate |
| Vinyl flooring / shower curtains | Moderate | PEVA or fabric alternatives |
| Nail polish (conventional) | Lower (occasional use) | Piggy Paint water-based formula |
For nail polish specifically, Piggy Paint is a water-based, odorless formula free from formaldehyde, toluene, and phthalates, worth having on hand if you enjoy doing your nails during pregnancy.
Good Brands to Buy
- Scrunchy Living Multi-Surface Concentrate — EWG Verified, fragrance-free, covers every surface in the home at a simple 1:11 dilution
- Native (Unscented) Deodorant — aluminum-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free; widely available
- Pyrex glass storage containers — durable, non-porous, microwave and oven safe; affordable entry point
- OXO Smart Seal glass containers — leakproof lids, borosilicate glass, freezer-to-oven safe
- Piggy Paint nail polish — water-based, odorless, phthalate-free; safe for pregnancy and kids
FAQ
Q: Should I be worried about phthalates if I'm already in my second trimester?
A: Research on phthalates and pregnancy blood pressure, including the new 2026 Journal of the Endocrine Society study, measured exposure across all three trimesters, and reducing exposure at any point during pregnancy is still worthwhile — the research doesn't suggest a hard cutoff after which swaps no longer matter. Because phthalate metabolites clear from the body relatively quickly (typically within 24–48 hours of exposure, as phthalates are not significantly bioaccumulative), switching to fragrance-free personal care products and glass food storage mid-pregnancy can meaningfully lower your ongoing daily exposure for the remainder of your term. If you're in your second or third trimester right now, start with the highest-frequency products you use, such as shampoo, body lotion, and your everyday cleaning spray, rather than waiting until you can overhaul everything at once.
Q: How do I know if a product actually contains phthalates?
A: Phthalates are rarely listed by name on consumer product labels, which is what makes them so difficult to avoid without knowing where to look. The most reliable signal is the word "fragrance" in the ingredient list. It's a legally permitted catch-all term that can conceal dozens of individual fragrance chemicals, including phthalates like DEP (diethyl phthalate), without requiring manufacturers to disclose them separately. The FDA acknowledges this labeling gap — phthalates used as fragrance components don't have to be listed by name — and EWG's free Skin Deep database lets you search specific products by name to see their hazard rating and known ingredients. As a practical filter: look for products labeled both "phthalate-free" and "fragrance-free" (not just "unscented," since unscented products can still contain masking fragrances), and when in doubt, run the product through Skin Deep before buying.
Q: Does eating organic food reduce phthalate exposure during pregnancy?
A: Eating organic reduces your exposure to pesticide residues and is a worthwhile choice during pregnancy, but it has limited impact on phthalate levels specifically. Research has found that phthalates enter food primarily through plastic packaging materials, industrial food processing equipment, and plastic food storage, not from agricultural practices. That means the organic label doesn't address the main route of dietary phthalate exposure. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences confirms that food contact materials are a significant source of endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure. For phthalate reduction specifically, shifting food storage from plastic to glass (especially for foods you heat), avoiding microwaving food in plastic containers, and reducing reliance on heavily packaged processed foods are more directly effective strategies than choosing organic alone. Ideally, you'd do both, but if budget is a constraint, glass storage and fragrance-free personal care products are where your dollars will have the biggest measurable impact on phthalate exposure.
About the Author
Jenn Smith, RN BSN, is a registered nurse, mom, and co-founder of Scrunchy Living. She writes evidence-based guides to non-toxic living, pregnancy-safe products, and clean home practices for modern families.
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Medical Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It does not replace the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider. Always consult your OB-GYN, midwife, or physician with questions about your pregnancy, health conditions, or any changes to your personal care or home environment.