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Phenoxyethanol

Well toleratedPreservativepreservativesolvent

No meaningful concern for most people; irritation is possible but rare.

Also written as: 2-Phenoxyethanol · Ethylene Glycol Monophenyl Ether · Phenoxetol

What it is

Phenoxyethanol is a colourless, faintly rose-scented liquid made industrially from phenol and ethylene oxide; it also occurs naturally in green tea and chicory. Formulators use it because it works across a wide pH range, is stable in water-based gels and sheet-mask essences, and kills or suppresses a broad range of bacteria, yeasts and moulds. It is usually paired with a booster such as ethylhexylglycerin or caprylyl glycol so that less of it is needed. In the EU it is a listed preservative with a hard ceiling of 1%.

What it does well

  • Reliably protects water-based masks from bacteria and mould

    It is effective against Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas, which are the organisms most likely to spoil a wet sheet mask or gel. The SCCS reviewed the full toxicological dossier and confirmed 1% as a safe maximum.

    Strong evidence

  • One of the least allergenic preservatives in routine use

    In the North American Contact Dermatitis Group series of 50,799 patch-tested patients, phenoxyethanol produced positive reactions in only 0.2%, the lowest rate of any preservative tested.

    Strong evidence

Worth knowing

  • Rare allergic contact dermatitis and contact urticaria

    Genuine allergy exists but is uncommon; published cases describe hand dermatitis and site-limited hives. This is a real but small risk, not a general one.

    Matters most toPeople with a confirmed patch-test allergy to phenoxyethanol.

  • The 'toxic for babies' claim is not supported by the EU review

    France's ANSM proposed cutting the limit to 0.4% for children under three. The SCCS re-examined the data in 2016 and concluded 1% remains safe for all consumers, with the margin of safety also covering infants and babies.

    Matters most toParents who have seen this claim online; the EU regulator considered it and did not change the limit.

Where the EU stands

Approved preservative (Annex V)

Permitted preservative, maximum 1.0% in all cosmetic products.

Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex V entry 29 · source ↗

Sources (3)

Every link goes to the original: a journal, a PubMed record or an EU document.

  1. [1]
    Opinion on Phenoxyethanol (SCCS/1575/16)

    SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety), European Commission · 2016

    The SCCS considers 2-phenoxyethanol safe for use as a preservative at a maximum concentration of 1.0%, and states the margin of safety also covers infants and babies.

  2. [2]
    Contact dermatitis associated with preservatives: Retrospective analysis of North American Contact Dermatitis Group data, 1994 through 2016

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2021 · doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2020.07.059

    Across 50,799 patch-tested patients, phenoxyethanol had the lowest positivity rate of any preservative tested at 0.2%, compared with 12.2% for methylisothiazolinone.

  3. [3]
    Allergic contact dermatitis to phenoxyethanol: A rare, but possible cause of hand dermatitis

    Contact Dermatitis · 2022

    Documents that true allergic contact dermatitis to phenoxyethanol does occur, but frames it as a rare cause of hand dermatitis.

Masks that contain Phenoxyethanol