Suspect screening of plastic additives in baby skincare products

Baby skincare products are extensively used on infant skin, yet their contamination with plastic additives (PAs) remains poorly understood. This study employed an integrated analytical approach combining high-resolution mass spectrometry-based suspect screening and target quantification to investigate PAs in 55 commercial baby skincare products, including lotions, powders, and shampoo-bath foams. A total of 121 PAs were identified, with 99 compounds confirmed and quantified using reference standards. Among the identified PAs, over 20 were reported for the first time in baby skincare formulations, including emerging plasticizers and transformation products (specifically derivatives of organophosphate esters, synthetic antioxidants, and UV stabilizers). The identification of these transformation products highlights a significant yet often overlooked source of chemical complexity and potential risk in these products. Target analysis revealed a median total concentration of PAs at 3,220 ng/g, with non-phthalate plasticizers constituting the most abundant group (median: 1,090 ng/g), followed by organophosphate esters (289 ng/g), ultraviolet stabilizers (227 ng/g), phthalate esters (205 ng/g), synthetic antioxidants (77.8 ng/g), parabens (13.9 ng/g), and bisphenols (7.45 ng/g). The levels and composition profiles of PAs also exhibited distinct product-specific patterns. Although estimated dermal exposure levels in infants and toddlers were generally low, the frequent detection and wide chemical diversity of PAs raise concerns about cumulative and mixture exposures during sensitive developmental windows. Our work provides a systematic characterization of chemical profiles in baby skincare products, offering critical data for product safety assessment.