Safety Assessment of Alkyl Ethylhexanoates as Used in Cosmetics

Abstract

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel (Panel) assessed the safety of 16 alkyl ethylhexanoates for use in cosmetics, concluding that these ingredients are safe in cosmetic formulations in the present practices of use and concentrations when formulated to be nonirritating. The alkyl ethylhexanoates primarily function as skin-conditioning agents in cosmetics. The highest concentration of use reported for any of the alkyl ethylhexanoates is 77.3% cetyl ethylhexanoate in rinse-off formulations used near the eye, and the highest leave-on use reported is 52% cetyl ethylhexanoate in lipstick formulations. The Panel reviewed available animal and clinical data related to these ingredients, and the similarities in structure, properties, functions, and uses of ingredients from previous CIR assessments on constituent alcohols that allowed for extrapolation of the available toxicological data to assess the safety of the entire group.

Controlling Systemic Inflammation by Careful Formulation of Topical Skin Care Products: Our Bodies Didn’t Evolve With All the Current Chemicals in Skin Care Products

“…In the case above, the culprit was the recently invented PEG, polyethylene glycol. Considering other ingredients, let's look at the example of one topical skin care product, AnteAge Serum, promoted by an anesthesiologist and currently on the market and positioned for sale to estheticians, physicians, and other health care providers: Second, although cetyl ethylhexanoate is considered to be safe for use in skin care products when diluted, the chemical itself causes irritation of the skin (Fiume et al, 2015) and therefore as a stay-on, constantly used skin care chemical, may induce inflammation. Third, carbomer has been shown to be cytotoxic when applied to the skin (Guo et al, 2015).…”