Propylene Glycol and Polyethylene Glycol – Ingredients Well Worth Avoiding
There are many nasty ingredients out there, but here I am going to touch on two that I find particularly bad: propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol. Otherwise known as PEG and PG, these ingredients are found in your car, your food, your pharmaceuticals, and (you guessed it) your personal care products. All this exposure is bad news if you value your health. Here is why:
Polyethylene Glycol – The Person You Don’t Want at a Party
Have you ever invited someone to a get-together, only to have that person invite a dozen of their friends? Before you know it, your food is gone, your house is ruined, and your neighbors aren’t speaking to you. Polyethylene glycol is that person.
The thing that PEG is best at is enhancing penetration. It helps other ingredients move deep down into your skin. So, when PEG joins a party, it brings all its friends with it, really ramping up the impact other undesirable compounds have on your skin.
Not only that, but PEG is often contaminated with some very nasty things. According to a report in the International Journal of Toxicology, PEG has been found to be contaminated with heavy metals (including lead) and ethylene oxide (an ingredient used to make mustard gas).1
When PEG penetrates your body, it also disrupts your skin’s ability to retain moisture. As a result, you end up with dryer, itchier, more irritated skin, which will probably leave you reaching for the same product that contained PEG in the first place. It is a vicious cycle and one that is hard to break without making a dramatic change in your skincare mindset.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like the kind of party guest I would rather avoid… which I do.
Propylene Glycol – It’s Everywhere!
Here is a fun game: Try to find something that does not contain propylene glycol. Intravenous drugs? Check. Antifreeze? Check. Cake mixes? Check. Conventional personal care products? Big check on that one. PG is just about everywhere, and that is scary.
It is natural that an ingredient used in such a broad and varied range of products, from brake fluid to flavored iced tea to deodorant, would raise some suspicion. There has been quite a bit of research into PG, and the results are not comforting.
Even at relatively low concentrations, exposure to PG has been proven to cause irritation and allergic reaction. One report even shows that exposure to PG can cause skin, liver, and kidney damage.
Finally, just like PEG, PG increases penetration. That means the other ingredients in your lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and sun blocks can make it into your system much more easily. Over time, this exposure can really add up, especially when you consider just how often the average person encounters PG.
The safest bet is to avoid propylene glycol as much as possible, which is why I never use it in my formulations.
Doesn’t Your Skin Deserve Better?
There is no need to keep exposing yourself to PEG and PG, especially when there are plenty of alternatives out there. Choose propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol-free products and enjoy healthier (and happier) skin.
What are your experiences with propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol? Please tell me about them in the comments below.
– Christina Moss
Sources
1 American College of Toxicology
International Journal of Toxicology
https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ijt
