Other Concerns
Enhanced skin absorption, Use restrictions (low), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)SYNONYMS
1,2-DIHYDROXYPROPANE, 1,2-PROPANEDIOL, 2-HYDROXYPROPANOL, METHYLETHYL GLYCOL, PROPANE-1,2-DIOL, and PROPYLENE GLYCOLPropylene 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.
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LOWCancer
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MODERATEAllergies & Immunotoxicity
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LOWDevelopmental and Reproductive Toxicity
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LOWUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
| shampoo | 280 products |
| hair color and bleaching | 265 products |
| conditioner | 263 products |
| antiperspirant/deodorant | 218 products |
| concealer | 218 products |
| foundation | 200 products |
| mask | 199 products |
| facial moisturizer/treatment | 186 products |
| moisturizer | 170 products |
| hair treatment/serum | 167 products |
| hair styling aide | 165 products |
| body wash/cleanser | 160 products |
| lip balm | 154 products |
| mascara | 147 products |
| serums & essences | 127 products |
| hand sanitizer | 120 products |
| facial cleanser | 118 products |
| liquid hand soap | 109 products |
| styling gel/lotion | 107 products |
| recreational sunscreen | 105 products |
| sunless tanning | 97 products |
| antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 89 products |
| exfoliant/scrub | 85 products |
| body spray | 82 products |
| mouthwash | 76 products |
| eye liner | 75 products |
| bar soap | 73 products |
| eye shadow | 70 products |
| makeup primer | 66 products |
| daily use with SPF | 63 products |
| brow liner | 61 products |
| setting powder/spray | 58 products |
| fragrance for women | 49 products |
| eyelash glue | 47 products |
| hair spray | 39 products |
| BB cream | 36 products |
| toners/astringents | 35 products |
| body firming lotion | 35 products |
| lip gloss | 34 products |
| hand cream | 34 products |
| makeup remover | 33 products |
| styling mousse/foam | 32 products |
| hair-loss treatment | 32 products |
| shaving cream | 30 products |
| around-eye cream | 28 products |
| fragrance for men | 25 products |
| foot moisturizer | 24 products |
| toothpaste | 24 products |
| baby wipes | 24 products |
| detangler | 24 products |
| polish remover | 24 products |
| baby sunscreen | 21 products |
| anti-aging | 20 products |
| CC cream | 18 products |
| after shave | 17 products |
| after sun product | 17 products |
| blush | 17 products |
| bronzer/highlighter | 15 products |
| nail treatment | 14 products |
| glitter | 14 products |
| bubble bath | 10 products |
| skin fading/lightener | 10 products |
| foot cleansing | 10 products |
| hair relaxer | 10 products |
| bath oil/salts/soak | 9 products |
| muscle/joint soreness | 9 products |
| tooth whitening | 8 products |
| lipstick | 8 products |
| body oil | 8 products |
| nail polish | 8 products |
| 8 products | |
| baby lotion | 7 products |
| lip balm with SPF | 6 products |
| pore strips | 6 products |
| beard care | 5 products |
| shaving cream (men's) | 4 products |
| baby toothpaste | 4 products |
| damaged skin treatment | 4 products |
| foot odor control | 3 products |
| eye makeup remover | 3 products |
| other eye makeup | 2 products |
| baby oil | 2 products |
| depilatory | 1 products |
| lip plumper | 1 products |
| diaper cream | 1 products |
| baby soap | 1 products |
| baby shampoo | 1 products |
| nail glue | 1 products |
| beard cleanser | 1 products |
| other men's products | 1 products |
Enhanced skin absorption
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Penetration enhancer | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Classified as skin irritant | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Limited evidence of skin and immune system toxicity or allergies | Open scientific literature |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Use restrictions
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Data gaps
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Safety assessment was based on related chemical | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| 5589 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Not likely to be a any toxicant in humans | NTP - Risks to Human Reproduction |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status |
Informational
| 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 limit | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
- 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). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
- NTP (National Toxicology Program). 2006. NTP Center for the Evaluation fo Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR). NTP-CERHR Reports and Monographs.
- 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.
- 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.
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 SCORESHazard 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.
Data availability
The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.