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I’ve seen the preservative, phenoxyethanol, on many cosmetic bottles so I finally took the time to find out what it is. According to Wikipedia, it is an organic chemical compound, a glycol ether often used in cosmetics, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals.
Chemical of the Day says that phenoxyethanol is commonly used as a fragrance ingredient so if you don’t see ‘phenoxyethanol’ in the ingredient list but you do see ‘fragrance’, it could be in there anyway. The Green Beauty Guide says these are ‘nicknames’ for phenoxyethanol:
IS IT SAFE?
Skin Deep considers phenoxyethanol a ‘4’ or ‘moderate risk’.
Numerous studies have shown it to be a skin irritant and the FDA warned consumers not use a nipple cream for breastfeeding mothers because the phenoxyethanol in it “can depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration in infants.”
The Environmental Medical Division at Oregon Health Sciences University reported 3 cases of phenoxyethanol neurotoxicity:
2-Phenoxyethanol, used as an anesthetic for handling small fish at a salmon hatchery, caused three women to experience headache and symptoms of intoxication during use, followed by diminished sensation and strength of hands and fingers, worse in the preferred hand. Persistent neuropathy did not develop in any of them. After 1 to 2 years of exposure, the women manifested gradual onset of symptoms of cognitive impairment with an inability to work. Neuropsychologic testing verified that all three had focal cognitive impairments that persisted. One also had documented labyrinthine hypofunction, which originated during this exposure.
Phenoxyethanol is considered a “safer preservative” so I bet if you look at many of the skin care products labeled ‘natural’, you’ll find phenoxyethanol as an ingredient. I’m constantly looking at the ingredients on products at the store so I see it all the time. Up until this point, I haven’t specifically avoided it but I probably will going forward, as much as I can.
Do you read ingredient lists on cosmetics? What chemicals do you specifically look for to avoid?
Phenoxyethanol is an organic chemical compound considered a “safer preservative” like te article states. I found it in my favorite shea butter cream ANGELS BREATH by mybluedolphinsoap.com I am so so happy to hear it is one of e safer preservatives. I realize that without a preservative, it could not be on the shelf and would require refrigeration. Even then it would only last a week or so. I’m never happy using a product with a preservative, but if they are necessary or bacteria builds up after one touch into the product its not worth it. I’ll take the minute preservative anyday. Thanks for the info I appreciate it.
@BMAH, you don’t need to use a body butter that has preservatives. This body butter has 4 organic ingredients: shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and bees wax, and you can add a drop of any essential oil you like to create a natural aroma. check it out http://www.b-rawshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2
There are so many natural preservatives that it is not necessary to use or settle for a product that uses chemicals whatever the amount.
I also did some research when I saw that my ‘natural’ deodorant had changed its ingredients. I found that phenoxyethanol is a reproductive interruptor. That really does not sound like something that I want my developing teenagers to use on a daily basis. I called the deodorant company and asked why they had changed the formula and the owner of the company said that “WholeFoods told his company to use it, it is a safe preservative” I asked him why he didn’t use citric acid or grapefruitseed extract. He said because it wasn’t as shelf stable as the others. So basically it boils down to the $$. Don’t use products containing phenoxyethanol.
Thank you for this very informative article. I stumbled across your site while searching for what pheonxyethanol actually was, as I saw it as an ingredient on my “natural deodorant” I recently purchased. While some people may not be bothered to much with a preservative in moderate or minute amounts, the effect — as pointed out in your article — can be devastating to others in these minute amounts.
I am actually suffering from some of those side effects listed by the women working in the hatchery and had no clue what it was. I believe this to be the source and will stop using this deodorant immediately. Fortunately, a friend just gave me a great homemade version that I find to be quite effective.
The value or researching our products that we use on the largest organ of our body is priceless 🙂
Thank you again!
This is the most shocking news for me:
“The Environmental Medical Division at Oregon Health Sciences University reported 3 cases of phenoxyethanol neurotoxicity:
2-Phenoxyethanol, used as an anesthetic for handling small fish at a salmon hatchery, caused three women to experience headache and symptoms of intoxication during use, followed by diminished sensation and strength of hands and fingers, worse in the preferred hand. Persistent neuropathy did not develop in any of them. After 1 to 2 years of exposure, the women manifested gradual onset of symptoms of cognitive impairment with an inability to work. Neuropsychologic testing verified that all three had focal cognitive impairments that persisted. One also had documented labyrinthine hypofunction, which originated during this exposure.”
This is so shocking, that this “safer” preservative resulted in “symptoms of cognitive impairment, symptoms of intoxication, ” loss of sensation of fingers and hands and the “cognitive impairment” was so debilitating it lead to them no longer being able to properly function in a work environment. Considering then this is a preservative that leaves the user literally disabled then I would say “safer” is certainly a term that is subjective. I cannot believe these studies, conducted by established medical universities are ignored largely by men and women who have no real conception of just *how* toxic and damaging these nasty chemicals are in our skincare. We need to be more cautious and not so ready to accept what we are told is acceptable. There are alternatives out there and I for one am willing to purchase things like 100% jojoba oil as a lotion, day cream and night cream and hair serum because I could not find an affordable truly “clean” body lotion. My organic aloe vera gel from ayushiwoods.com is fantastic and I use it as a body lotion, for my face and even in my hair. Out went all of my toxic skincare, hair care and make up and my skin has never felt better and those strange migraines that I would have maybe three times a week are gone and I know they were caused by a lot of the nasty chemicals in my skincare regime because since getting rid of those products, I am cured and no longer suffer from debilitating migraines!
Much of what we place on our skin effects us just as our diet effects us, I would encourage anyone reading this to “go green” and see for yourself what it can do for you as well.
If colloidal silver is such as good as they say, why not replace the pheno-blah-blah with something like that?
4d Black hair natural hair products for kinky coily hair:
Cantu cream – itchy scalp
4 Naturals – breakage and split ends
…several other twist out creams have it (phenoxyethanol).
These products make my hair feel relaxed or as if i used a chemical straightener. I love the slip and detangling in the afro stretch cream. . But no more. Contacting manufacturers now to tell them they need to take out this chemical. The neurotoxin effects are scary because I put the product on my hair and scalp. It can be directly absorbed to brain and cause worst damage then hair relaxer.
@BMAH & OTHERS,
THERE ARE SAFER AND REALLY NATURAL PRESERVATIVES: GRAPEFRUIT SEED OIL AND ASCORBIC ACID ARE THE 2 MOST COMMON ONES.
I started looking up ingredients that were in the Parent’s Choice WalMart brand baby wipes and this is an ingredient. It didn’t sound like a very “safe” word to me so I did a little digging. I really am shocked that this is used, even in small amounts with the side effects it’s caused and it’s used in baby wipes. My daughter started to scream when we would change her and started to have irritation when we would use this specific brand of wipes and now I’m wondering if it has something to do with this ingredient. Shocking to say the least.