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Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that's used in cosmetics, perfumes, and toiletries. It's colorless, oily, and has a rose-like odor. Chemically speaking, it's an ether alcohol that's naturally found in green tea
Phenoxyethanol can be found naturally in green tea, but the commercial ingredient is synthetically produced in a laboratory creating what’s termed a “nature identical” chemical. Specifically, it’s created by treating phenol with ethylene oxide in an alkaline medium which all reacts to form a pH-balanced ingredient
Phenoxyethanol is very safe at low levels. It’s been tested on the skin and eyes and it is non-irritating and non-sensitizing at levels of 2.2% or lower while being effective at only 1% concentrations
Even better, phenoxyethanol doesn’t react with other ingredients, air or light. This kind of stability makes it an especially effective preservative
Most of the studies that have found significant negative health impacts are based on full-strength or high-dose exposures. In real life usage, exposures are quite small. That’s why it’s approved at levels up to 1%. It’s all dependent on the final formulationResearch has shown that compared to many other preservatives, the incidence of a sensitized or allergic reaction to phenoxyethanol applied as used in cosmetics is rare
