phenoxyethanol

16 June 2014

Should we be concerned about Phenoxyethanol

For some people within the Green Community, Phenoxyethanol is a dirty word and I do include it on my list of “ingredients to avoid”. I was recently asked for my viewpoint and to be honest, it’s an ingredient I am still undecided about it. You will notice from my reviews that I have not completely eliminated it from my skincare routine but I do make a conscious effort to limit my exposure. I have read that Phenoxyethanol can occur naturally but as a cosmetic ingredient it is synthetically produced. Skincare that contains water needs to incorporate ingredients which prohibit the growth of bacteria. Sadly, from a green viewpoint there are flaws with most preserving ingredients and perhaps you could loosely argue it's a case of choosing the best from a bad bunch. Phenoxyethanol will give a longer shelf life compared to natural alternatives so it’s easy to see why Green cosmetic manufacturers find it attractive. Also, it is not suspected to be carcinogenic but considered harmful in products used around mouth or on lips and an eye irritant. 

Should we be concerned about Phenoxyethanol? The truth is there is no simple answer as viewpoints and scientific research are conflicting. The following extract is from Toxic Beauty – How hidden chemicals in cosmetics harm you by Dawn Mellowship - “Phenoxyethanol can cause skin and respiratory irritation. In animal studies, reactions to this substance have included reduced body weight, increased kidney, liver and thyroid weights, development toxicity, brain and nervous system effects and endocrine disruption at high doses. Occupational exposure to Phenoxyethanol has resulted in damaged to the nervous system in several cases. It is classified by the European Commission as harmful if swallowed and irritating to the eyes. Phenoxyethanol caused slight irritation in rabbit skin at 2.2 per cent” 


In doing my research, I came across an FDA warning about Phenoxyethanol dating back to 2008 which often gets quoted. It is even referenced in No More Dirty Looks by Siobhan O'Connor & Alexandra Spunt. Personally, I do feel that the FDA warning may have been twisted out of perspective. Concerns were raised over a nipple balm. As with many ingredients, natural or otherwise, Phenoxyethanol should not be ingested so it makes perfect sense that a warning was issued, babies would be swallowing via breastfeeding. The press announcement makes no mention to Phenoxyethanol being harmful for the mother applying on their skin. 

Phenoxyethanol was accepted by ECOCERT and The Soil Association but it has since been disallowed (in 2008 & 2012) in certified organic products. It would appear that the change arose because of guidelines issued in France on the level of Phenoxyethanol in products for children. As a result EU regulations limits its use and set the level to up to a maximum of 1% for kids. I see many sites mention Phenoxyethanol is banned in Japan, this is not true, its use is restricted to 1% same as the EU.

From my viewpoint, I have concerns because there appears to be a link to contact dermatitis and eczema. However, it would seem to me that irritation has been shown when the percentage is greater than the EU limits. In a safety assessment report from International Journal of Toxicology, it states undiluted Phenoxyethanol was shown to be non irritating when tested at 2.2%. Check the report and you will notice that Dawn Mellowship (quoted above) hasn't quite got the facts straight when mentioning percentages. I am more inclined to avoid this ingredient, for example, in a body cream rather than in shower gel which washes off. If I see Phenoxyethanol high on the ingredients list, I would avoid because that would indicate it is being used at greater than 1%. I also consider the other ingredients, if Phenoxyethanol is the only one I’m concerned about, I am likely to overlook it. However, if the products contains more than this one suspect ingredient, I will dismiss them.

It is really hard to decide where to draw the line with ingredients. Often you can tie yourself up in knots with worry. Many of us rely on the internet for information but it is not always accurate. Some companies are striving to remove Phenoxyethanol but it does not happen overnight and is likely to be costly.

If you would like further reading, I would recommend an article from No More Dirty Looks they got caught out between the advice they offered in their book and reviewing for their blog. It offers an interesting perspective not too dissimilar to my own. What are your thoughts on Phenoxyethanol? If you can recommend further reading on this subject, please do share a link in the comment section below.

Sarah x

25 April 2013

On occasion I like to be a little controversial and air some opinions about brands and the ingredients they use. Of course not everyone will agree with me but there are some brands that get my blood boiling - Lush, Yves Rocher,  Sanex and Corine de FarmeI get cross because I class them as "green washing" which basically means they are promoting themselves as natural but in fact they use a ton of synthetic ingredients in their products. Who is next on the naughty step? - Korres

The bloggersphere loves Korres so I know my viewpoint is probably going to get me a few unfollows. What winds me up about these products? Well, yes they have an impressive free from list but the product ingredients are still as long as my arm, with not many natural derived ones and a lot of unpronounceable ones. 

Even with the Free From list proudly displayed on bottles, they highlight they are using SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate), PEG and Fragrance. 

Free From labelling aside it's interesting to dig a little deeper into the full ingredient listings. I can't go through every product but I randomly selected a couple from the website and used EWG to source my information.

Jasmine Shower Gelnot only does it contain SLES but also Imidazolidinyl Urea - "antimicrobial preservative that acts as a formaldehyde releaser in cosmetics and personal care products." Another ingredient which catches my attention is Cocamidopropyl betaine - "a synthetic surfactant; it has been associated with irritation and allergic contact dermatitis, reactions that could be due to the ingredient itself or to impurities present in it, such as 3-dimethylaminopropylamine." 

Wild Rose 24 hour Moisturisercontains Butylphenyl Methylpropional - "synthetic fragrance, a skin irritant, its use is restricted in both leave-on and wash-off products because of its powerful sensitisation potential." (source theecologist.org)

Quercetin & Oak Night Creamcontains Silica Dimethyl Silylate, although the EWG database has no data it is described as "a silica-based synthetic derivative"

Lip Butters - A firm favourite with bloggers but the first ingredient is Polybutene “a polymer used as a plasticizer and viscosity agent.” Polyethylene is a common plastic, Propylene Carbonate is derived from propylene glycol.

The use of phenoxyethanol and Japanese Honeysuckle are debatable, they are common in products without Parabens. From a food allergy prospective I noticed many products contain wheat and gluten, a couple have lactose and whey proteins.

Whether you avoid these ingredients and products is entirely your own decision. Just don't let companies like this one, pull the wool over your eyes. They are NOT at one with Mother Nature. Obviously everyone is different when it comes to sensitive skin but I would be cautious with Korres, there are a number of ingredients which have the potential to be a skin irritant.

Sarah x

24 January 2013

Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
I've mentioned before that there is this little patch of eczema that has crept onto my face. It's not large, about the size of a 10p coin, under my lip in the corner of my mouth. This is highly unusual for me. I am assuming the cold weather has triggered it as I haven't had any weird and wonderful reactions to products in recent weeks. I decided to switch back to Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser. I've given it a little mention before here and there, but not a full review. I just wanted to share with you my love for this brand and their products (and NO I haven't been paid to say that).

When someone with sensitive skin asks for a recommendation, Pai is always top of my list. The reason the brand stands out for me is simply that I know it has been formulated for sensitive and allergy prone skin. They are 100% up front about their ingredients and that is why I like them. When you have allergies sometimes we have to put our faith in a product. If a company can offer a level of reassurance that they have done their homework, it goes a long way. What is also great about Pai is it is one of the cleanest natural brands on the market. Products are free from detergents, synthetics, alcohol denat., parabens, phenoxyethanol and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate. They are also certified Vegan, Cruelty Free and Organic.

Pai's cleanser is a cream, has a nice texture/thickness and great scent (it's the May Chang that I pick up on). With a muslin cloth it removes my foundation and never leaves my skin feeling tight or dry. I never feel it irritates or worsen my eczema. The cleanser does come with a muslin cloth but I use my own ones. Muslin cloths are better with age and I have a stash of old cloths that are well loved, it's purely a personal preference. 

I'm switching out my cleanser most months, mainly because of my blog but I am also very fickle and it depends on my budget. Pai is at the top end of my spending bracket so I do shop around. 

Have you tried Pai skincare? 

Sarah x

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