Other Concerns
Enhanced skin absorption, Use restrictions (low), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)SYNONYMS
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.
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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 | 364 products |
conditioner | 337 products |
hair color and bleaching | 265 products |
foundation | 235 products |
mask | 233 products |
concealer | 229 products |
facial moisturizer/treatment | 222 products |
hair treatment/serum | 221 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant | 217 products |
hair styling aide | 211 products |
mascara | 186 products |
moisturizer | 165 products |
serums & essences | 152 products |
body wash/cleanser | 149 products |
hand sanitizer | 123 products |
styling gel/lotion | 115 products |
facial cleanser | 112 products |
lip balm | 112 products |
eye shadow | 110 products |
eye liner | 109 products |
sunless tanning | 99 products |
liquid hand soap | 99 products |
exfoliant/scrub | 93 products |
recreational sunscreen | 93 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 85 products |
body spray | 77 products |
mouthwash | 74 products |
brow liner | 72 products |
makeup primer | 69 products |
setting powder/spray | 63 products |
bar soap | 60 products |
hair spray | 56 products |
hand cream | 52 products |
around-eye cream | 50 products |
styling mousse/foam | 48 products |
toners/astringents | 45 products |
daily use with SPF | 44 products |
toothpaste | 42 products |
fragrance for women | 41 products |
body firming lotion | 36 products |
shaving cream | 32 products |
lip gloss | 32 products |
after shave | 31 products |
eyelash glue | 31 products |
polish remover | 30 products |
BB cream | 30 products |
hair-loss treatment | 29 products |
baby wipes | 28 products |
makeup remover | 27 products |
anti-aging | 23 products |
blush | 23 products |
fragrance for men | 22 products |
bronzer/highlighter | 18 products |
baby sunscreen | 18 products |
foot moisturizer | 17 products |
nail treatment | 16 products |
CC cream | 16 products |
detangler | 14 products |
lipstick | 13 products |
after sun product | 12 products |
skin fading/lightener | 10 products |
foot cleansing | 10 products |
10 products | |
bubble bath | 9 products |
tooth whitening | 9 products |
baby lotion | 9 products |
muscle/joint soreness | 9 products |
bath oil/salts/soak | 8 products |
body oil | 8 products |
glitter | 8 products |
hair relaxer | 8 products |
nail polish | 7 products |
pore strips | 7 products |
beard care | 7 products |
shaving cream (men's) | 6 products |
baby toothpaste | 6 products |
other eye makeup | 6 products |
lip balm with SPF | 6 products |
body cleansing wipes | 6 products |
foot odor control | 4 products |
damaged skin treatment | 4 products |
facial cleansing wipes | 4 products |
depilatory | 3 products |
cuticle treatment | 2 products |
eye makeup remover | 2 products |
baby oil | 2 products |
makeup removing wipes | 2 products |
tanning oil | 1 products |
diaper cream | 1 products |
baby soap | 1 products |
baby shampoo | 1 products |
body powder | 1 products |
beard cleanser | 1 products |
other men's products | 1 products |
Enhanced skin absorption
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Penetration enhancer | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Classified as skin irritant | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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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 |
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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 |
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Not likely to be a any toxicant in humans | NTP - Risks to Human Reproduction |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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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 |
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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.