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Phenoxyethanol issues?
Anyone ever experience skin reactivity and other issues with the usage of PE?
A product on the market is getting more reports on “sensitivities, reactions, itchiness, etc”. It is a simple o/w emulsion with few “actives” that don’t seem to be problematic.
The preservation package is Botanistat PF-64 (INCI: Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol) at a standard usage rate.
I am running some initial experiments and swapping out the preservative package for another, with early reports of the issue seemingly going away with those who experienced it.
Obviously, this is a small-scale test and not definitive proof that the preservative is the issue, but I am just curious if Phenoxyethanol is something others might be experiencing issues with. Thank you!
Matt
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6 Replies
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Yes. I worked on a project to replace phenoxyethanol specifically because some percentage of customers complained about “flushing” or irritation.
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Good to know! Thank you, @Perry !
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Caprylyl Glycol and Hexylene Glycol are barely innocent.
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@Perry what was the product, percentage of phenoxyethanol and percentage of people reacting?
And what alternative did you find for phenoxyethanol?
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@Abdullah - it was a consulting job so I can give product details. But it was a leave-on product that used 1% phenoxyethanol. Alternatives were from Lonza or Schulke (benzyl alcohol blends).
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@zetein thank you for that. I came upon similar findings as well.
@perry I also used Lonza and switched it out for Geogard ECT and all was fine.
I really appreciate this group!
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