Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacturing and is an endocrine disrupter. DEHP was released from laboratory tubing and resins during solvent extraction of natural plants to isolate skin depigmenting compounds. Contamination of DEHP significantly interfered with the purification of depigmenting compounds, since DEHP showed high depigmenting activity (IC50=24 μM) and did not show cell toxicity up to 20 μM. Release of DEHP depended on the composition of tubing materials and solvents used in the extraction process. This result provides practical information for the proper selection of laboratory materials and solvents especially in the extraction and isolation of skin depigmenting compounds for cosmetic ingredients.