What Is Propylene Glycol And Why You Should Avoid It.
Propylene Glycol is a chemical found in personal care products that acts as a penetration enhancer that keeps products from melting in heat and/or freezing when it is cold. It is found in items such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, acne treatment, moisturizer, toothpaste, deodorant, nail polish, mascara, etc.. So basically anything you could possibly use on your body, propylene glycol can be found in. But why should you avoid it? Well, there are a ton of reasons, but for starters it alters the structure of the skin by allowing chemicals to penetrate deep beneath it while increasing their ability to reach the blood stream. Sounds lovely, right? So even if propylene glycol was a health product, it still helps any other chemicals you come in contact with reach your bloodstream. However, there is even more to it than just that…
According to the Environmental Working Group, propylene glycol can cause a whole host of problems. It is rated a 4 by them, which is categorized as a “moderate” health issue. It has been shown to be linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive issues, allergies/immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption. It has been found to provoke skin irritation and sensitization in humans as low as 2% concentration, while the industry review panel recommends cosmetics can contain up to 50% of the substance.
So how do you spot propylene glycol in products? Well, you can look for names like 1,2-Dihydroxypropane; 2-Hydroxypropanol; Methylethy Glycol; 1,2-Propanediol; Propane-1,2-Diol. Some popular products (and you can see the full list of 1,041 here) that contain propylene glycol include:
Avon ANEW ULTIMATE Skin Transforming Cream
Neutrogena Skin Smoothing Body Lotion
L’Oréal SUBLIME GLOW For Face Daily Moisturizer Fair Skin Tones
Nivea for Men Revitalizing Lotion Q10
Pantene Conditioning Spray
So take a look at the ingredients of the products that you use and look for any of the names I listed above that propylene glycol is often called. We try our best to only use safe, natural products, but I am going to take a look through the cabinet in our bathroom just in case. Environmental Working Group lists safe products as well as pointing out the toxic ones, so if you are looking for alternatives, check out their Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database to make sure you only buy non-toxic stuff from now on!
You may also like:
- What Is Polyethylene And Why Should You Avoid It?
- What Are Methylparabens And Why You Should Avoid Them.
- What Is DEA (diethanolamine) And Why You Should Avoid It.
- What Is BHT (BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE) And Why You Should Avoid It.
- Guide To Finding Safe, Eco-Friendly Sunscreen.
Related Websites
- Best Facial Skin Care Products: Choosing the Right Cleanser
- Mommy-Muse.comTM Favorites: Eco-Friendly Mom and Baby Care
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David,
Another reason to make your own skin care products – and it’s really easy to do. The only thing that I don’t make yet is deodorant & toothpaste. Homemade deodorant is next up on my to-do – cornstarch & baking soda.
I’ve posted recipes of how to make your own lotions, soaps (use for shampoo also), and lip balm on my blog.
http://fimby.tougas.net/soap_body_care
Be careful to do thorough research when recommending sites for cosmetic safety. The Skin Deep site is terribly outdated on many of their product reviews as many products have been reformulatted or discontinued. Skin Deep has not posted accurate reviews reflecting the changes and has not removed the reviews that are in error. That places all of their reviews in question, in my opinion.
Right…and you wouldn’t happened to be a little biased because of the products you came here to mention, which are not as healthy as many on the Skin Deep site. Please don’t spam the site trying to sell your stuff, thanks.
Wow… I was just reading The Gorgeously Green Diet, where she mentions a number of additives to avoid. This one was not on the list, but as I pulled the bag of coconut shreds from my fridge to use as a dessert garnish, I saw propylene glycol on the ingredients and decided to google it.
Scary. Thank you for your post on it’s dangers. Certainly something to consider, and for multiple reasons. I do not believe it is something I want to be eating or feeding my family (and in the trash the bag goes!).