Phenoxyethanol
*Originally published in May of 2021, updated in March 2024
If you’ve been shopping in the “clean” section and looking at ingredient lists, phenoxyethanol may be familiar to you. Phenoxyethanol is particularly common in products marketed as natural or clean. But is phenoxyethanol safe?
What Is Phenoxyethanol
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative and solvent that is widely used in cosmetics and personal care products. Similar to parabens, phenoxyethanol prevents the growth of yeast, bacteria and mold, extends product shelf life, and prevents user contamination. Since parabens have been linked to endocrine disruption, many companies have replaced them with phenoxyethanol.
Phenoxyethanol is widely used and not without risk of adverse health effects.
How Is Phenoxyethanol Made
Phenoxyethanol is made from the reaction of ethylene oxide, phenol and an alkali through a process known as ethoxylation. While phenoxyethanol can be found naturally in green tea, it is created synthetically in a lab for use in cosmetics and personal care products.
Ethylene oxide on its own is a carcinogen, and it is associated with reproductive effects. Ethylene oxide is used in the manufacture of chemicals for detergents, solvents, medicines, textiles, and others products, and to sterilize equipment for items that cannot withstand the heat of steam sterilization like plastic, herbs, and spices. To learn more about ethylene oxide, head to this ethylene fact sheet from the EPA.
Phenol is highly irritating to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Phenol is suspected to be mutagenic by the European Chemicals Agency and is prohibited from cosmetics in the EU and Canada. Phenol is used in the manufacture of bisphenol A, an endocrine disruptor. To learn more about phenols, head to this fact sheet.
The Problem With Ethoxylated Ingredients
Ethoxylated ingredients in general have the potential to be harmful due to byproducts that may remain. The toxic byproducts from ethoxylation 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide. both carcinogens. 1,4-Dioxane has been found in numerous everyday products such as cosmetics, personal care products, and even supplements, food packaging, and crops. The FDA recommends a technique called vacuum stripping to reduce the amount of 1,4-dioxane in products. But consumers have no way of knowing if this step is being taken, and I have yet to find a company that says they do this. To learn more about 1,4-dioxane how to avoid it, check out this blog post. Because ethylene oxide is used in the process of ethoxylation, some may remain in the final product.
There is no way to know how much 1,4-dioxane or ethylene oxide remains in the end product. Currently, there are no regulations limiting the amounts of these harmful byproducts in ethoxylated ingredients like phenoxyethano in the US.
Phenoxyethanol Adverse Health Effects
In 2008 the FDA warned consumers not to use Mommy’s Bliss Nipple cream because it contained phenoxyethanol and was harmful to infants. The statement indicated phenoxyethanol could “depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration in infants.”
In this animal study, phenoxyethanol caused reproductive and developmental toxicity.
Phenoxyethanol Myths
Myth: “Phenoxyethanol is <1% of the formula, so it doesn’t matter.”
Truth: All preservatives are used at low concentrations. This does not take into account the cumulative effect of multiple products used.
Myth :“Phenoxyethanol is not an endocrine disruptor.”
Truth: The reason to avoid phenoxyethanol is not necessarily due to endocrine disruption. Phenoxyethanol is an ethoxylated ingredient that may contain carcinogenic byproducts 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide. We simply don't know if products have these because companies do not either take measures to ensure they are free of contaminants, test for them, and/or share the results with us. Phenoxyethanol can contain 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide which are carcinogenic.
Myth: “Phenoxyethanol is a safe replacement for parabens.”
Truth: Many companies swapped parabens for phenoxyethanol (as a preservative) in an effort to make products "clean.” The process by which phenoxyethanol is made, as well as the end result, isn't exactly non-toxic. Trading parabens for phenoxyethanol is simply replacing one potentially harmful ingredient with another (regrettable substitution).
More Phenoxyethanol Regulation Is Needed
In the US, the FDA has approved phenoxyethanol for use as an indirect food additive. In the EU, phenoxyethanol is allowed in cosmetics at a maximum concentration of 1%.
It is important to consider the additive effect of daily exposure to multiple products containing phenoxyethanol plus other harmful ingredients. To learn more about exposure to toxic ingredients in everyday products, head to this blog post.
In conclusion, it is best to avoid phenoxyethanol.
References and Resources
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/ethoxylation
[2] https://www.citizenscampaign.org/14dioxane
[3] https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/ethylene-oxide.pdf
[3] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/ethylene-oxide
[4] https://www.zerobreastcancer.org/research/bcerc_factsheets_phenols.pdf
[5] https://www.pca.state.mn.us/featured/reducing-use-ethylene-oxide
[6] https://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/phenoxyethanol
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470243/pdf/envhper00326-0221.pdf
[8] https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrro_factsheet_contaminant_14-dioxane_january2014_final.pdf
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6985251/
