Safety review of phenoxyethanol when used as a preservative in cosmetics

Abstract

Phenoxyethanol, or 2‐phenoxyethanol, has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and has been widely used as a preservative in cosmetic products for decades. It is effective against various Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria, as well as against yeasts, and has only a weak inhibitory effect on resident skin flora. According to the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, phenoxyethanol is safe for all consumers – including children of all ages – when used as a preservative in cosmetic products at a maximum concentration of 1%. Adverse systemic effects have been observed in toxicological studies on animals but only when the levels of exposure were many magnitudes higher (around 200‐fold higher) than those to which consumers are exposed when using phenoxyethanol‐containing cosmetic products. Despite its widespread use in cosmetic products, phenoxyethanol is a rare sensitizer. It can be considered as one of the most well‐tolerated preservatives used in cosmetic products.

Answer to the letter to the editor titled ‘Phenoxyethanol, reproduction, and development: additional studies are needed’

“…The authors of the recent 'Safety review of phenoxyethanol when used as a preservative in cosmetics 1 ' read with interest the comments from Garlant ezec et al 2 Firstly, we agree that longitudinal cohort studies are of some value in providing real-life data for safety assessments in toxicology. However, a recent systematic review by Hipwell et al 3 rated the study of Garlant ezec et al 4 only as fair using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), 5 due to the retrospective study design and the inclusion of women only in the study.…”

“…Editor Nevus depigmentosus is defined as a congenital non-progressive hypopigmented macule. 1 We report a case of nevus depigmentosus following the Blaschko lines with robust activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway.…”

A perspective on the safety of parabens as preservatives in wound care products

“…117 For phenoxyethanol, adverse systemic effects were observed in laboratory animals only at levels of exposure higher than those allowed in topical products. 118 In case of organic acids, such as sodium benzoate, genotoxicity is reported, but not consistently. 119 Nevertheless, at those levels of exposure consumers would be exposed to when using topical antimicrobial or preservative ingredient-containing end products and based on the currently available scientific knowledge, these agents are, as are the parabens, generally not considered harmful.…”

“…Similarly, the isothiazolinones are also associated with high cytotoxic effects 117 . For phenoxyethanol, adverse systemic effects were observed in laboratory animals only at levels of exposure higher than those allowed in topical products 118 . In case of organic acids, such as sodium benzoate, genotoxicity is reported, but not consistently 119 .…”

Workable Cadaveric Preservation for Developing Skills Training Models: A Review

“…Phenoxyethanol, an aromatic oily liquid with the appreciable antiseptic property was used mainly for zoological specimen fixation apart from its normal usage in antiseptic, bactericidal creams, cosmetics and insect repellents [14]. Trials were done to find the effectiveness of this compound as an alternate preservative solution for formalin preservation in human cadavers.…”