Regarding the use of EU classified low ortho-phthalates, only DBP and DIBP were ever used in cosmetics or body care products but are no longer found in products manufactured and commercialised in the European Union due to provisions of the European Cosmetics legislation, which prohibits the use of substances classified for carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) hazards. This EU legislation does not apply in other regions of the world, such as the US, where classified low ortho-phthalates are still permitted, although some companies have voluntarily stopped using them.

In the case of cosmetics and personal care products, non-classified high ortho-phthalates are not used simply because their technical properties and molecular structure do not make them suitable for these applications.