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HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Limited

Pentylene Glycol

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Enhanced skin absorption and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)

SYNONYMS

● 1,2-DIHYDROXYPENTANE
● 1,2-PENTANEDIOL
● PENTANE-1,2-DIOL
● PENTYLENE GLYCOL

This ingredient is not currently on EWG's Skin Deep Restricted or Unacceptable Lists.

Pentylene glycol is a synthetic, low molecular weight solvent and skin-conditioning agent.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • LOW
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • LOW
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • LOW
    Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

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foundation321 products
facial moisturizer/treatment312 products
serums & essences258 products
concealer155 products
around-eye cream136 products
mask135 products
moisturizer96 products
brow liner88 products
daily use with SPF78 products
lipstick72 products
CC cream63 products
facial cleanser59 products
toners/astringents56 products
shampoo55 products
bronzer/highlighter52 products
eye liner49 products
eye shadow41 products
lip gloss40 products
nail polish39 products
mascara39 products
makeup primer38 products
hair treatment/serum37 products
setting powder/spray35 products
antiperspirant/deodorant34 products
blush29 products
recreational sunscreen29 products
exfoliant/scrub27 products
BB cream24 products
anti-aging23 products
conditioner23 products
hand cream20 products
makeup remover18 products
lip balm16 products
lip plumper15 products
body wash/cleanser14 products
14 products
hair styling aide13 products
body firming lotion12 products
sunless tanning8 products
hair spray7 products
baby lotion6 products
hair removal waxes6 products
fragrance for men5 products
styling gel/lotion4 products
fragrance for women4 products
baby soap3 products
other eye makeup3 products
body oil3 products
after shave3 products
skin fading/lightener2 products
muscle/joint soreness2 products
after sun product2 products
detangler2 products
body spray2 products
nail treatment2 products
liquid hand soap2 products
facial powder2 products
eyelash glue2 products
hair-loss treatment2 products
beard care2 products
beard cleanser2 products
bath oil/salts/soak2 products
shaving cream2 products
eye makeup remover1 products
foot moisturizer1 products
hand sanitizer1 products
styling mousse/foam1 products
damaged skin treatment1 products
cuticle treatment1 products
baby shampoo1 products
hair color and bleaching1 products
pore strips1 products

Enhanced skin absorption

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Penetration enhancerOpen scientific literature

Allergies/immunotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
One or more human case studies show possible any or allergenic effectsOpen scientific literature

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Limited evidence of any irritationOpen scientific literature
One or more animal studies show any irritation at high dosesOpen scientific literature

Data gaps

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in productCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
23 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed

Informational

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - anyCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
  • Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
  • CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
  • NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.

Understanding scores

Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.

Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.

HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES

Hazard score

The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG VERIFIED® mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.

Score legend
WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH

A product’s hazard score is not an average of the ingredients’ hazard scores. It is calculated using a weight-of-evidence approach that factors in all of the hazards or health impacts associated with the ingredients.

Data availability

The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.

NONE LIMITED FAIR GOOD ROBUST
Low Availability
Moderate Availability
High Availability
NONE

Ingredients have not been assessed.

LIMITED-FAIR

There is only a modest volume of research.

GOOD-ROBUST

Ingredients have been studied extensively.

Can’t find your product?

Enter the ingredients in EWG’s Build Your Own Report tool to get an approximate score for that product.

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September 23, 2023 | Los Angeles, CA

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