propylene glycol

1 April 2014

skincare ingredient list
Propylene Glycol can be found in personal care products and food. It is an ingredient I chose to avoid because of the links to skin irritation and contact dermatitis. I am fully aware that any ingredient, natural or synthetic, has the potential to cause a reaction. It will depend on how our individual bodies react and the quantity applied. As someone who suffers with eczema, I make it my mission to avoid certain ingredients because I have to do what is right for my skin. Others may avoid Propylene Glycol because it is a product of the petrochemical industry and we have to consider it is an industry which is unsustainable and polluting the environment. 

Propylene Glycol comes in more than one formulation, industrial and pharmaceutical and because of this it has various uses. A quick Google search will bring up some scary claims and a connection to antifreeze. Propylene Glycol is commonly used in engine coolants and antifreeze solutions, however it is used as a safer replacement to ethylene glycol which is toxic and dangerous. Whilst there may be scaremongering tactics circulating the internet, I am still not comfortable knowing Propylene Glycol is used commercially to defrost airplanes. What benefit could that possibly offer my skin?

When it comes to skincare, propylene glycol is used as a moisturising agent (aka humectant) and it is a cheap filler ingredient. One natural alternative is glycerine which can be sourced from soya bean or coconut but it may also be derived from animals or synthetically produced. My research leads me to believe that glycerin is a more effective humectant than propylene glycol so that supports my decision to avoid it. There is another natural alternative called Propanediol Glycol (Chemical name: Propan-1,3-diol) which is derived from vegetable sources (corn) making it more eco-friendly in comparison to Propylene Glycol. It does have EcoCert approval and is considered safe for cosmetics and food.

The quantity of propylene glycol in cosmetic products is small and it is not considered a risk. However, I look at the bigger picture and mainstream products contain a cocktail of undesirable ingredients which from my perspective increases the risk of allergic reactions. My skin responds better to natural ingredients and that gives me justification to continue using skincare which is considered natural, green and clean.

What are your thoughts and feeling about the use of Propylene Glycol in cosmetics/skincare and food?

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

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