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Data: Fair

Propylene Glycol

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Use restrictions (low), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low_moderate), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)

SYNONYMS

● 15490-EP2314589A1
● 98469-EP2284163A2
● 98469-EP2284174A1
● 98469-EP2284162A2
● 55805-EP2308864A1
● 55805-EP2305033A1
● 55805-EP2298415A1
● 55805-EP2287158A1
● 15490-EP2316837A1
● 69996-EP2308479A2

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

Propylene glycol is a small organic alcohol commonly used as a skin conditioning agent. It has been associated with irritant and allergic contact dermatitis as well as contact urticaria in humans; these sensitization effects can be manifested at propylene glycol concentrations as low as 2%.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

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

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

Expand content Collapse content
diaper cream5 products
styling gel/lotion360 products
conditioner742 products
liquid hand soap212 products
after shave55 products
facial moisturizer/treatment346 products
hand cream94 products
antiperspirant/deodorant418 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)202 products
mouthwash209 products
anti-aging58 products
facial cleanser255 products
muscle/joint soreness13 products
fragrance for women116 products
body spray200 products
fragrance for men61 products
moisturizer364 products
styling mousse/foam112 products
detangler51 products
hair spray135 products
shampoo759 products
hair treatment/serum390 products
toners/astringents84 products
foot moisturizer46 products
mask425 products
around-eye cream75 products
eye makeup remover10 products
baby wipes38 products
toothpaste161 products
exfoliant/scrub164 products
serums & essences244 products
skin fading/lightener14 products
body wash/cleanser341 products
shaving cream (men's)15 products
hair styling aide533 products
CC cream31 products
Hair Styling Gel16 products
brow liner123 products
sunless tanning150 products
tanning oil5 products
hair color and bleaching567 products
bath oil/salts/soak42 products
foundation574 products
mascara386 products
concealer444 products
eye liner206 products
lip gloss79 products
lip balm259 products
lipstick57 products
after sun product36 products
makeup remover63 products
hair relaxer33 products
hair-loss treatment55 products
Putties, Puddings & Clays2 products
foot odor control7 products
bronzer/highlighter49 products
facial powder3 products
shaving cream67 products
Preshave Preparations1 products
bubble bath24 products
polish remover60 products
nail treatment33 products
makeup primer115 products
depilatory6 products
bar soap225 products
body firming lotion59 products
hand sanitizer183 products
Other Hair Care Preparations3 products
baby toothpaste8 products
Bath and Body Wipes5 products
cuticle treatment4 products
tooth whitening31 products
setting powder/spray97 products
nail polish85 products
body powder3 products
eyelash glue89 products
body oil11 products
BB cream45 products
foot cleansing19 products
Oils & Serums5 products
blush34 products
recreational sunscreen111 products
daily use with SPF42 products
lip balm with SPF6 products
eye shadow131 products
baby sunscreen16 products
baby lotion14 products
baby soap8 products
baby shampoo7 products
Moisturizing Socks2 products
baby bubble bath2 products
vapor rubs2 products
glitter24 products
lip plumper5 products
oil controller1 products
pore strips13 products
Under Eye Concealers7 products
nail glue3 products
other eye makeup9 products
baby oil6 products
beard care11 products
damaged skin treatment5 products
beard cleanser3 products
Eye Shadow Primers1 products
Exfoliants1 products
Facial Sun Care2 products
Beard Conditioners2 products
lip liner7 products
Nail Art and Jewelry1 products
lubricant1 products
Face Wipes1 products
Decollete and Neck Creams1 products
other men's products1 products

Allergies/immunotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Limited evidence of skin and immune system toxicity or allergies

Multiple, additive exposure sources

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodFDA Food Additive Status
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodFDA Everything Added to Food

Miscellaneous

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Prohibited for use in foodFDA Food Additive Status

Enhanced skin absorption

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Penetration enhancerCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Data gaps

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Safety assessment was based on related chemicalCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Informational

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Determined safe for use in cosmetics up to a specified concentration limitCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Use restrictions

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualificationsCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as expected to be toxic or harmfulEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Classified as medium human health priorityEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Persistence and bioaccumulation

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be persistentEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Ecotoxicology

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as skin irritantNational Library of Medicine HazMap
  • FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006.
  • FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
  • CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
  • EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
  • NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.

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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