Phenoxyethanol
Also known as 2-Phenoxyethanol, Ethylene glycol monophenyl ether, Phenyl cellosolve, Beta-hydroxyethyl phenyl ether
“EU SCCS says: safe within use limit.”
Phenoxyethanol is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial preservative with extensive regulatory and clinical review. The 1990 CIR Expert Panel concluded it 'safe as used' (unqualified finding 'S' in the CIR Quick Reference Table; J Am Coll Toxicol 9(2):259-277), and the 2016 SCCS opinion (SCCS/1575/16) reaffirmed 1.0% as safe for all consumers including children under three. The 2019 Dreno et al. systematic review characterised it as 'one of the most well-tolerated preservatives used in cosmetic products'; adverse systemic effects in animal studies occurred only at exposures about 200x higher than typical consumer use, and patch-test sensitization remains very low (~0.2%) with only isolated case reports of allergic contact dermatitis or contact urticaria.
Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, particularly effective against Gram-negative bacteria
Very low sensitization rate in patch-tested populations (~0.2%)
Characterised as one of the most well-tolerated preservatives used in cosmetic products (Dreno et al., 2019)
Weak inhibitory effect on resident skin flora compared with several alternative preservatives
- · Rare allergic contact dermatitis in sensitised individuals (e.g., occupational/cosmetic hand eczema case reports)
- · Isolated contact urticaria reports from leave-on cosmetic products (aftershaves, facial products)
- · Animal toxicology studies show adverse systemic effects, but only at exposures approximately 200-fold higher than typical consumer-use levels
SCCS/1575/16 - Opinion on Phenoxyethanol (Final version, 6 October 2016)
“2-phenoxyethanol is safe for use as a preservative with a maximum concentration of 1.0% (SCCS/1575/16, Final opinion, 6 October 2016).”— SCCS/1575/16, conclusions section
CIR Quick Reference Table (12/2017, revised 07/2018) - Phenoxyethanol entry, citing J Am Coll Toxicol 9(2):259-277, 1990
“Phenoxyethanol | S | [no detail column entry] | JACT 9(2):259-77, 1990”— QRT-122017revised072018.pdf, p. 100