Phenoxyethanol - is it harmful to the skin? according to a doctor and analyses by BeautyDecoders.
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that prevents the development of bacteria, yeast and mold in cosmetics. Judged safe up to 1 % by the European Scientific Committee (SCCS), it is nevertheless not recommended by the ANSM for use on babies' bottom areas, and is restricted for use on young children. Although it has no direct effect on the skin, it remains a useful preservative, whose use deserves particular caution in toddlers and pregnant women, in the light of data from the French PELAGIE cohort.
The alternative to parabens, also under discussion
While parabens are becoming increasingly controversial, phenoxyethanol is gaining in popularity as an alternative. But what do we really know about this preservative? Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative used to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms that can spoil creams, foundations, sunscreens and more. Particularly effective, it is resistant to bacteria. It is produced by ethoxylation, a process in which phenol and ethylene oxide react at high temperature and pressure.
What's it for? in cosmetics
Unlike an active ingredient, phenoxyethanol has no direct effect on the skin: its role is to preserve the product. A preservative is essential, as a cosmetic contaminated by bacteria would be far more dangerous than a preserved product.
Antimicrobial action
It prevents the growth of fungi, bacteria and yeasts in the formula.
Shelf life
It secures the product and extends its useful life.
Stability
It avoids undesirable reactions with other ingredients, air or light.
Versatility
It protects a wide variety of products against pathogens.
What they say agencies?
The French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) has been monitoring phenoxyethanol for several years. As a precautionary measure, it has recommended since 2012 that it should not be used in products applied to babies' breeches, and that a maximum concentration of 0.4 % should be set for other products intended for children under 3. For its part, the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) concluded in October 2016 that phenoxyethanol used at 1 % in cosmetics is safe, regardless of age.
ANSM continued its investigations, convening a temporary specialized scientific committee of experts in toxicology, epidemiology, dermatology and allergology in 2017. Its conclusions: maintain the 2012 recommendation not to use phenoxyethanol on babies' breeches, and extend it to wipes commonly used to clean young children.
ANSM warns against the «cocktail» effect of frequent and repeated use of products containing phenoxyethanol. The occasional application of a product is harmless; it's the multiplication and frequency of products that can raise questions.
Questions also remain about possible links between one of its components (phenoxyacetic acid) and fertility, and about a potential endocrine-disrupting effect, which have yet to be scientifically confirmed.
Phenoxyethanol and pregnancy : the PELAGIE cohort
This is undoubtedly the point that deserves most attention. Phenoxyethanol is very widespread - it features in around a third of the creams on the French market - and for pregnant women, leading French scientific data calls for reasoned caution: the PELAGIE cohort, led by Inserm. This study (unit U1085, Rennes) followed 3,421 pregnant women recruited in Brittany between 2002 and 2006, and their children. At the start of pregnancy, the researchers measured urinary concentrations of phenoxyacetic acid, the main metabolite of phenoxyethanol. The results have been published in international peer-reviewed journals (Environmental Health Perspectives, Epidemiology).
In women with the highest concentrations, a statistically significant lengthening of the time needed to conceive was observed (Garlantezec et al., 2013).
Significant associations were found with levels of certain steroid hormones measured at birth in cord blood, with different profiles in boys and girls.
In the children most exposed in utero, a significant decrease in verbal comprehension scores (WISC test) was observed compared to those less exposed (Béranger et al., 2017).
Rigorously and without alarmism. The report of the ANSM's Scientific Committee (December 2017) itself states that these results, although unpublished, need to be confirmed, and that we cannot exclude that they are linked to other substances to which these women were co-exposed. These are statistical associations, not proven causal links: the presence of phenoxyethanol in a product does not indicate proven dangerousness.
It is precisely this methodological honesty that justifies a simple precautionary approach for pregnant women. Without demonizing this ingredient, it's easy to limit exposure during pregnancy by choosing products that are free of it, especially as there is a wide range of products on offer today. If in doubt, consult your doctor or midwife.
A useful preservative, targeted vigilance
Phenoxyethanol is not the ingredient some people make it out to be: it's a preservative considered safe up to 1 % by the European authorities, and a well-preserved product is safer than one that oxidizes or becomes contaminated. The real vigilance concerns toddlers (baby's bottom, wipes) and, as a precautionary principle, the multiplication of everyday sources. For adults, it is not a worrying ingredient at authorized concentrations. If you prefer to avoid it, there is a wide range of phenoxyethanol-free products available today.
Find phenoxyethanol in your daily care.
The BeautyDecoded application lets you scan any cosmetic product to visualize its suitability for your skin type and needs, based on INCI analysis.
Your questions about phenoxyethanol
Is phenoxyethanol dangerous?
Phenoxyethanol or parabens?
Can it be used on babies?
Is it an endocrine disruptor?
How do you know if a product contains it?
Can phenoxyethanol be used during pregnancy?
Visit references
- ANSM, CSST report «Use of phenoxyethanol in cosmetic products», December 2017.
- ANSM, «Évaluation du risque lié à l'utilisation du phénoxyéthanol dans les produits cosmétiques», May 2012.
- Garlantezec R. et al, «Urinary Glycol Ether Metabolites in Women and Time to Pregnancy: The PELAGIE Cohort,» Environ Health Perspect, 2013;121:1167-1173 (PMID 23645546).
- Béranger R. et al, «Prenatal Exposure to Glycol Ethers and Neurocognitive Abilities in 6-Year-Old Children: The PELAGIE Cohort,» Environ Health Perspect, 2017;125:684-690 (PMID 27649815).
- SCCS (European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety), opinion on phenoxyethanol, October 2016.
- Regulation (EC) n°1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Annex V.
Others associated guides
Information for educational purposes only. It does not replace a medical consultation and must be adapted to each individual. Phenoxyethanol is a preservative deemed safe up to 1 % by the European Scientific Committee (SCCS, 2016). The ANSM advises against its use on babies« breeches and wipes for young children, and recommends caution in view of the »cocktail" effect of multiple products. Questions about an endocrine-disrupting effect remain to be scientifically confirmed. During pregnancy, the French PELAGIE cohort (Inserm) found statistical associations - not causal - that justify a simple precaution: limit exposure by choosing phenoxyethanol-free products, and seek medical advice if in doubt. For products intended for toddlers, check the label. In case of doubt or skin pathology, dermatological advice is recommended.