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PROPYLENE GLYCOL
Score:
Data: Fair
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Enhanced skin absorption, Use restrictions (low), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)
Cancer 
Cancer: Ingredients linked to cancer in government, industry or academic studies or assessments.
Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity
Developmental and reproductive toxicity: Ingredients linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, a broad class of health effects that range from infertility and reproductive organ cancers to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Allergies & Immunotoxicity
Allergies and immunotoxicity: Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system, a class of health problems that manifest as allergic reactions or an impaired capacity to fight disease and repair damaged tissue in the body.
Products with this Ingredient
| foundation | 298 products |
| shampoo | 249 products |
| conditioner | 186 products |
| concealer | 168 products |
| hair color and bleaching | 149 products |
| hair styling aide | 148 products |
| body wash/cleanser | 136 products |
| mask | 134 products |
| mascara | 128 products |
| moisturizer | 115 products |
| antiperspirant/deodorant | 112 products |
| facial moisturizer/treatment | 111 products |
| recreational sunscreen | 96 products |
| serums & essences | 94 products |
| facial cleanser | 82 products |
| hair treatment/serum | 79 products |
| antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 76 products |
| mouthwash | 70 products |
| liquid hand soap | 70 products |
| eye liner | 69 products |
| lip balm | 68 products |
| styling gel/lotion | 66 products |
| daily use with SPF | 57 products |
| body firming lotion | 57 products |
| makeup primer | 54 products |
| exfoliant/scrub | 51 products |
| bar soap | 48 products |
| toothpaste | 39 products |
| hand sanitizer | 38 products |
| eye shadow | 36 products |
| hair spray | 35 products |
| body spray | 35 products |
| styling mousse/foam | 31 products |
| lipstick | 31 products |
| makeup remover | 31 products |
| sunless tanning | 29 products |
| brow liner | 29 products |
| eyelash glue | 28 products |
| fragrance for women | 26 products |
| detangler | 25 products |
| setting powder/spray | 25 products |
| around-eye cream | 23 products |
| bronzer/highlighter | 23 products |
| shaving cream | 22 products |
| toners/astringents | 22 products |
| fragrance for men | 22 products |
| BB cream | 20 products |
| foot moisturizer | 17 products |
| lip gloss | 17 products |
| hand cream | 16 products |
| polish remover | 15 products |
| anti-aging | 14 products |
| bath oil/salts/soak | 14 products |
| after sun product | 14 products |
| baby sunscreen | 14 products |
| after shave | 13 products |
| hair relaxer | 10 products |
| 10 products | |
| tooth whitening | 9 products |
| CC cream | 9 products |
| baby wipes | 8 products |
| bubble bath | 7 products |
| foot cleansing | 7 products |
| lip balm with SPF | 6 products |
| shaving cream (men's) | 4 products |
| hair-loss treatment | 4 products |
| eye makeup remover | 3 products |
| lip plumper | 3 products |
| blush | 3 products |
| other eye makeup | 3 products |
| pore strips | 3 products |
| baby lotion | 2 products |
| nail treatment | 2 products |
| foot odor control | 2 products |
| tanning oil | 2 products |
| diaper cream | 2 products |
| facial powder | 2 products |
| baby soap | 2 products |
| baby toothpaste | 2 products |
| baby shampoo | 2 products |
| beard care | 2 products |
| skin fading/lightener | 1 products |
| depilatory | 1 products |
| oil controller | 1 products |
| baby bubble bath | 1 products |
| body oil | 1 products |
| glitter | 1 products |
| vapor rubs | 1 products |
| nail glue | 1 products |
| body powder | 1 products |
| baby oil | 1 products |
| damaged skin treatment | 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 |
|---|---|
| Propylene glycol was found to provoke allergic reactions in patients with eczema and other skin allergies. | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
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 2005 (Jahnke et al) |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
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 |
Data Sources
- 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.
- 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). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
- NTP 2005 (Jahnke et al)
- 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.
ABOUT THE SKIN DEEP® RATINGS
EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer
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Beyond providing Skin Deep® as an educational tool for consumers, EWG offers its EWG VERIFIED™ mark as a quick and easily identifiable way of conveying personal care products that meet EWG's strict health criteria. Before a company can use EWG VERIFIED™ on such products, the company must show that it fully discloses the products' ingredients on their labels or packaging, they do not contain EWG ingredients of concern, and are made with good manufacturing practices, among other criteria. Note that EWG receives licensing fees from all EWG VERIFIED™ member companies that help to support the important work we do. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer
