Phenoxyethanol Safety?

[honey]

This is my first post on here, I've been reading this forum for about a year now since I found it last October and have loved the discussions and stories that everyone posts. It has been a huge resource for me and regaining my health. I'm very interested in skin care products and how they can help/harm skin health and overall health.

So, my question is if anyone knows anything about Phenoxyethanol safety? I'm currently formulating a skincare product that is water-based, hydrosol + glycerin hydrating toner for the body with some extracts added to it. The chemist I'm working with recommends using Phenoxyethanol in combination with Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate for the preservatives. Everything I find online is conflicting and I haven't had the time/knowledge to go through studies to make up my mind about it.

Some concerns that I've read online are that Phenoxyethanol, being an ethoxylated ingredient, can be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane and ethylene oxide which are known to be carcinogenic and toxic. The chemist assured me that Phenoxyethanol used in skincare is purified and regulated so that there aren't these contaminates.

Other concerns are that Phenoxyethanol can affect nervous system function and cause allergic reactions. But most "natural"/"health" brands use it as the preservative for their water-based products. So, I'm confused and unsure whether I should bother reformulating or just keep the preservatives as is.

If you know anything about topical preservatives or someone who can point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kray]

This is my first post on here, I've been reading this forum for about a year now since I found it last October and have loved the discussions and stories that everyone posts. It has been a huge resource for me and regaining my health. I'm very interested in skin care products and how they can help/harm skin health and overall health.

So, my question is if anyone knows anything about Phenoxyethanol safety? I'm currently formulating a skincare product that is water-based, hydrosol + glycerin hydrating toner for the body with some extracts added to it. The chemist I'm working with recommends using Phenoxyethanol in combination with Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate for the preservatives. Everything I find online is conflicting and I haven't had the time/knowledge to go through studies to make up my mind about it.

Some concerns that I've read online are that Phenoxyethanol, being an ethoxylated ingredient, can be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane and ethylene oxide which are known to be carcinogenic and toxic. The chemist assured me that Phenoxyethanol used in skincare is purified and regulated so that there aren't these contaminates.

Other concerns are that Phenoxyethanol can affect nervous system function and cause allergic reactions. But most "natural"/"health" brands use it as the preservative for their water-based products. So, I'm confused and unsure whether I should bother reformulating or just keep the preservatives as is.

If you know anything about topical preservatives or someone who can point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

I have this same concern.
I came across this. Safety review of phenoxyethanol when used as a preservative in cosmetics - PubMed

 

[Kray]

This is my first post on here, I've been reading this forum for about a year now since I found it last October and have loved the discussions and stories that everyone posts. It has been a huge resource for me and regaining my health. I'm very interested in skin care products and how they can help/harm skin health and overall health.

So, my question is if anyone knows anything about Phenoxyethanol safety? I'm currently formulating a skincare product that is water-based, hydrosol + glycerin hydrating toner for the body with some extracts added to it. The chemist I'm working with recommends using Phenoxyethanol in combination with Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate for the preservatives. Everything I find online is conflicting and I haven't had the time/knowledge to go through studies to make up my mind about it.

Some concerns that I've read online are that Phenoxyethanol, being an ethoxylated ingredient, can be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane and ethylene oxide which are known to be carcinogenic and toxic. The chemist assured me that Phenoxyethanol used in skincare is purified and regulated so that there aren't these contaminates.

Other concerns are that Phenoxyethanol can affect nervous system function and cause allergic reactions. But most "natural"/"health" brands use it as the preservative for their water-based products. So, I'm confused and unsure whether I should bother reformulating or just keep the preservatives as is.

If you know anything about topical preservatives or someone who can point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

honey-

Did you ever come to a decision on using phenoxyethanol in your product? I scanned the internet for anything more recent than the link I had found before, and all I found was this, probably from the same period- https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-08/sccs_o_195_0.pdf

From what it looks like, the safety limit is considered to be 1% concentration.

I recently found a really nice hand cream from a well-known maker who changed their formula in August '23, to include p-ethanol. It has few overall ingredients which is why I chose the product (and a better profile from their original formula which contained several parabens), and p-ethanol is the only one that raised a red flag. I can only assume the concentration of phenoxyethanol is no greater than 1%. I was about to order more but thought I'd check first. Thanks for anything you would offer to share.

 

[honey]

honey-

Did you ever come to a decision on using phenoxyethanol in your product? I scanned the internet for anything more recent than the link I had found before, and all I found was this, probably from the same period- https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-08/sccs_o_195_0.pdf

From what it looks like, the safety limit is considered to be 1% concentration.

I recently found a really nice hand cream from a well-known maker who changed their formula in August '23, to include p-ethanol. It has few overall ingredients which is why I chose the product (and a better profile from their original formula which contained several parabens), and p-ethanol is the only one that raised a red flag. I can only assume the concentration of phenoxyethanol is no greater than 1%. I was about to order more but thought I'd check first. Thanks for anything you would offer to share.

I ended up changing the preservative system to 20% alcohol, I was inspired by haidut's products, especially solban. Some other brands also use alcohol such as Weleda (but they are full of seed oils). I didn't feel comfortable using something that I wasn't fully knowledgeable on. My brand leans towards "natural" anyway and "organic grape alcohol" just sounds better for marketing than phenoxyethanol. Plus, the scent of rectified spirits (neutral alcohols) is a lot more subtle and almost undetectable. Whereas phenoxyethanol does have a scent to it that changes the scent of the product, less so than phenethyl alcohol (another preservative with a strong floral scent) but still similar and noticeable. The main reason why it's used is because it's cheap, just like all the other synthetic preservative systems. Organic grape alcohol is the most expensive ingredient in my product.

Cosmetics at 20% alcohol or higher are self-preserving and don't need challenge testing according to ISO 29621:2017.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

 

[Kray]

I ended up changing the preservative system to 20% alcohol, I was inspired by haidut's products, especially solban. Some other brands also use alcohol such as Weleda (but they are full of seed oils). I didn't feel comfortable using something that I wasn't fully knowledgeable on. My brand leans towards "natural" anyway and "organic grape alcohol" just sounds better for marketing than phenoxyethanol. Plus, the scent of rectified spirits (neutral alcohols) is a lot more subtle and almost undetectable. Whereas phenoxyethanol does have a scent to it that changes the scent of the product, less so than phenethyl alcohol (another preservative with a strong floral scent) but still similar and noticeable. The main reason why it's used is because it's cheap, just like all the other synthetic preservative systems. Organic grape alcohol is the most expensive ingredient in my product.

Cosmetics at 20% alcohol or higher are self-preserving and don't need challenge testing according to ISO 29621:2017.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

Thanks for update. Just can't think why such a controversial ingredient (phenoxyethanol) is still the one of choice when there are other options, for all reasons you give.

Your products sound intriguing, and I hope it goes well- care to share? PM?

 

[honey]

Thanks for update. Just can't think why such a controversial ingredient (phenoxyethanol) is still the one of choice when there are other options, for all reasons you give.

Your products sound intriguing, and I hope it goes well- care to share? PM?

Thank you I haven't launched yet but I will give more details soon!

 

[Kray]

Thank you I haven't launched yet but I will give more details soon!

Great! I look forward to it!