PROPYLENE GLYCOL
Fragrance Ingredient; Humectant; Skin-Conditioning Agent - Humectant; Skin-ConditioningAgent - Miscellaneous; Solvent; Viscosity Decreasing Agent; SKIN CONDITIONING; VISCOSITY CONTROLLING
Also listed as
1,2-DIHYDROXYPROPANE; 2-HYDROXYPROPANOL; METHYLETHYL GLYCOL; 1,2-PROPANEDIOL; PROPANE-1,2-DIOL; 1,2-DIHYDROXYPROPANE; 1,2-PROPYLENE GLYCOL; 1,2-PROPYLENGLYKOL (GERMAN) ; ALPHA-PROPYLENEGLYCOL; DOWFROST; METHYLETHYLENE GLYCOL
Given the incomplete information made available by companies and the government, EWG provides additional information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature. The chart below indicates that research studies have found that exposure to this ingredient -- not the products containing it -- caused the indicated health effect(s) in the studies reviewed by Skin Deep researchers. Actual health risks, if any, will vary based on the level of exposure to the ingredient and individual susceptibility -- information not available in Skin Deep.
| This ingredient: | |
 | Cancer |
 | Developmental/reproductive toxicity |
| Violations, restrictions & warnings |
| Allergies/immunotoxicity |
 | Contamination concerns |
 | Other strong concerns for this ingredient: Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Enhanced skin absorption |
| Other moderate concerns for this ingredient: Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) |
| Lesser or emerging concerns for this ingredient: Neurotoxicity, Endocrine disruption, Ecotoxicology, Data gaps, Biochemical or cellular level changes |
|
See products containing PROPYLENE GLYCOL | |
About PROPYLENE GLYCOL: Propylene glycol is practically non-toxic when taken orally, i.e. added to food. However, it has been found to provoke skin irritation and sensitization in humans as low as 2% concentration, while the industry review panel recommends cosmetics can contain up to 50% of the substance.
PROPYLENE GLYCOL has reported used in the following product types: hair color and bleaching (1460); facial moisturizer/treatment (1117); moisturizer (946); conditioner (704); anti-aging (691); shampoo (614); styling gel/lotion (586); facial cleanser (546); body wash/cleanser (523); foundation (500)
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Limited evidence of skin and immune system toxicity | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review), 2006 |
Cancer
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Possible carcinogen | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
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Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Classified as a high human health priority | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity | products that may be aerosolized (airborne) | Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2004 |
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
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Persistence and bioaccumulation
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Persistent or bioaccumulative and moderate to high toxicity concern in humans | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Classified as skin irritant | National Library of Medicine HazMap | |
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Developmental/reproductive toxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at moderate doses | RTECS®- Kaibogaku Zasshi 1962 | |
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Violations, restrictions & warnings
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Neurotoxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show brain and nervous system effects at high doses | RTECS®- Journal of Pediatrics 1978 | |
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Endocrine disruption
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show endocrine system disruption at high doses | RTECS®- Toxic Substance Mechanisms 1995 |
Biochemical or cellular level changes
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show biochemical changes at high doses where the human health implications are not yet well understood | RTECS®- Toxic Substance Mechanisms 1995 |
Ecotoxicology
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Suspected to be an environmental toxin and be persistent or bioaccumulative | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
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Enhanced skin absorption
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Penetration enhancer | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status | |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Data gaps
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Safety assessment was based on related chemical | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | |
| 1,509 studies on toxicity in PubMed see search results -> | PubMed |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| FDA Food Additive Status | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • miscellaneous • Substances generally recognized as safe in foods but limited in standardized foods where the standard provides for its use - CFR184.1666 • refers to part number under Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations 169 (169.175; 169.176; 169.177; 169.178; 169.180; 169.181) • Vanilla Extract • Carrier for enzyme modified soy protein • refers to part number under Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations 582.1666 - In animal feeds |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | •Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications •Determined safe for use in cosmetics up to a specified concentration limit •Penetration enhancer - alters skin structure, allows other chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin •Safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) is based on safety or product use data for a different, related ingredient |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • Fully up-to-date toxicology information has been sought. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | •Skin Sensitizer - An agent that can induce an allergic reaction in the skin or lungs: Yes; •Lacrimator - A substance that irritates the eyes and induces the flow of tears: Yes; |
| NTP - Risks to Human Reproduction | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | REPRO: Negligible concern || DEVELOPMENT: Negligible concern |
| CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review), 2006 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | Propylene glycol was found to provoke allergic reactions in patients with eczema and other skin allergies. |
| Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2004 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | •Respiratory toxicity hazards: suspected |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | 1,2-PROPANEDIOL | •This chemical was deemed a moderate human health priority and was flagged by CEPA for further attention. |
| RTECS®- "Cutaneous Toxicity, Proceedings of the 3rd Conference, 1976," Drill, V 1977 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • skin - Primary skin irritant ( human ) |
| RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J 1986 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit ) |
| RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva, galogen I kislorod sodergashie organicheskie soedinenia" 1984 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • brain and nervous system - Ataxia (rat LD50) • respiratory - Respiratory depression (rat LD50) • brain and nervous system - Tetany (rat LD50) |
| RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva, galogen I kislorod sodergashie organicheskie soedinenia" 1984 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • brain and nervous system - Ataxia (rabbit LDLo) • respiratory - Respiratory depression (rabbit LDLo) • brain and nervous system - Tetany (rabbit LDLo) |
| RTECS®- Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica, Section A, Supplement 1981 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (mouse scu) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA Inhibition (mouse scu) |
| RTECS®- Arzneimittel-Forschung 1976 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rat LD50) |
| RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1974 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rabbit LD50) |
| RTECS®- Federation Proceedings, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 1947 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • kidney or renal system - Changes in both tubules and glomeruli (mouse LD50) • blood - Changes in spleen (mouse LD50) • respiratory - Chronic pulmonary edema (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1982 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit ) |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1984 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster fbr) |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1982 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit ) |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1984 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster fbr) |
| RTECS®- Interagency Collaborative Group on Environmental Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, Memorandum, June 17, 1974 17JUN1974 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rat LD50) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 1941 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (guinea pig LD50) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Investigative Dermatology 1970 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • skin - Primary skin irritant ( human ) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Investigative Dermatology 1970 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • skin - Primary skin irritant ( human ) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Pediatrics 1978 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • brain and nervous system - General anesthetic (child TDLo) • brain and nervous system - Changes in surface EEG (child TDLo) • brain and nervous system - Convulsions or effect on seizure threshold (child TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1932 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • brain and nervous system - Coma (rabbit LDLo) • respiratory - Respiratory stimulation (rabbit LDLo) • brain and nervous system - Somnolence (general depressed activity) (rabbit LDLo) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1937 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • cardiovascular - Other changes (chicken LDLo) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1939 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2000 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • skin - Primary skin irritant (child ) |
| RTECS®- Kaibogaku Zasshi 1962 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • reproductive - Fetotoxicity (mouse TDLo) • reproductive - Post-implantation mortality (mouse TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Kriobiologiya i Kriomeditsina 1981 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • brain and nervous system - Changes in motor activity (specific assay) (mouse LD50) • respiratory - Cyanosis (mouse LD50) • brain and nervous system - Muscle contraction or spasticity (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Kriobiologiya i Kriomeditsina 1981 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rat LD50) |
| RTECS®- National Technical Information Service | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rabbit LD50) |
| RTECS®- Pediatrics 1983 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • metabolic - Other changes (infant TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Raw Material Data Handbook, Vol 1974 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rabbit LD50) |
| RTECS®- Toxic Substance Mechanisms 1995 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • endocrine system - Hyperglycemia (rat TDLo) • biochemical - Phosphatases (rat TDLo) • biochemical - Transaminases (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 1978 | PROPYLENE GLYCOL | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rat LD50) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| FDA Food Additive Status | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006. |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents. |
| NTP - Risks to Human Reproduction | NTP (National Toxicology Program). 2006. NTP Center for the Evaluation fo Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR). NTP-CERHR Reports and Monographs. |
| Open scientific literature | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Minimal risk Levels for Hazardous Substances. January 2004. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mrls.html, 2004 |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| RTECS®- "Cutaneous Toxicity, Proceedings of the 3rd Conference, 1976," Drill, V 1977 | RTECS®- "Cutaneous Toxicity, Proceedings of the 3rd Conference, 1976," Drill, V.A., and P. Lazar, eds., New York, Academic Press, Inc. 1977 -,127,1977 |
| RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J 1986 | RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J., Prague, Czechoslovakia, Avicenum, 1986 -,206,1986 |
| RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva, galogen I kislorod sodergashie organicheskie soedinenia" 1984 | RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva, galogen I kislorod sodergashie organicheskie soedinenia". (Hazardous substances. Galogen and oxygen containing substances), Bandman A.L. et al., Chimia, 1994 -,149,1984 |
| RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva, galogen I kislorod sodergashie organicheskie soedinenia" 1984 | RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva, galogen I kislorod sodergashie organicheskie soedinenia". (Hazardous substances. Galogen and oxygen containing substances), Bandman A.L. et al., Chimia, 1994 -,150,1984 |
| RTECS®- Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica, Section A, Supplement 1981 | RTECS®- Acta Pathologica et Microbiologica Scandinavica, Section A, Supplement. (Copenhagen, Denmark) No.210-274, 1970-81. For publisher information, see ACPADQ. 274,304,1981 |
| RTECS®- Arzneimittel-Forschung 1976 | RTECS®- Arzneimittel-Forschung. Drug Research. (Editio Cantor Verlag, Postfach 1255, W-7960 Aulendorf, Fed. Rep. Ger.) V.1- 1951- 26,1581,1976 |
| RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1974 | RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series. (Rome, Italy) No.?-57, 1948-77. Discontinued. 53A,491,1974 |
| RTECS®- Federation Proceedings, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 1947 | RTECS®- Federation Proceedings, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. (Bethesda, MD) V.1-46, 1942-87. 6,342,1947 |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1982 | RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.20- 20,573,1982 |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1984 | RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.20- 22,623,1984 |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1982 | RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.20- 1982- 20,573,1982 |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1984 | RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.20- 1982- 22,623,1984 |
| RTECS®- Interagency Collaborative Group on Environmental Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, Memorandum, June 17, 1974 17JUN1974 | RTECS®- Interagency Collaborative Group on Environmental Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, Memorandum, June 17, 1974 17JUN1974 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 1941 | RTECS®- Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology. (Cambridge, MA) V.18-31, 1936-49. For publisher information, see AEHLAU. 23,259,1941 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Investigative Dermatology 1970 | RTECS®- Journal of Investigative Dermatology. (Williams & Wilkins Co., 428 E. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21202) V.1- 1938- 55,190,1970 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Investigative Dermatology 1970 | RTECS®- Journal of Investigative Dermatology. (Williams & Wilkins Co., 428 E. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21202) V.1- 55,190,1970 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Pediatrics 1978 | RTECS®- Journal of Pediatrics. (C.V. Mosby Co., 11830 Westline Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141) V.1- 1932- 93,515,1978 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1932 | RTECS®- Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. (Williams & Wilkins Co., 428 E. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21202) V.1- 1909/10- 44,109,1932 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1937 | RTECS®- Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. (Williams & Wilkins Co., 428 E. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21202) V.1- 1909/10- 60,312,1937 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1939 | RTECS®- Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. (Williams & Wilkins Co., 428 E. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21202) V.1- 1909/10- 65,89,1939 |
| RTECS®- Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2000 | RTECS®- Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. (C.V. Mosby Co., 11830 Westline Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141) 1979- 42,355,2000 |
| RTECS®- Kaibogaku Zasshi 1962 | RTECS®- Kaibogaku Zasshi. Journal of Anatomy. (Nippon Kaibo Gakkai, c/o Tokyo Daigaku Igakubu, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan) V.1- 1928- 37,239,1962 |
| RTECS®- Kriobiologiya i Kriomeditsina 1981 | RTECS®- Kriobiologiya i Kriomeditsina. Cryobiology and Cryomedicine. (Izdatel'stvo Naukova Dumka, Kiev, USSR) No.1- 1975- 8,46,1981 |
| RTECS®- Kriobiologiya i Kriomeditsina 1981 | RTECS®- Kriobiologiya i Kriomeditsina. Cryobiology and Cryomedicine. (Izdatel'stvo Naukova Dumka, Kiev, USSR) No.1- 1975- 9,36,1981 |
| RTECS®- National Technical Information Service | RTECS®- National Technical Information Service. (Springfield, VA 22161) Formerly U.S. Clearinghouse for Scientific & Technical Information. PB280-477 |
| RTECS®- Pediatrics 1983 | RTECS®- Pediatrics. (American Academy of Pediatrics, P.O. Box 1034, Evanston, IL 60204) V.1- 1948- 72,353,1983 |
| RTECS®- Raw Material Data Handbook, Vol 1974 | RTECS®- Raw Material Data Handbook, Vol.1: Organic Solvents, 1974. (National Assoc. of Printing Ink Research Institute, Francis McDonald Sinclair Memorial Laboratory, Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA 18015) 1,101,1974 |
| RTECS®- Toxic Substance Mechanisms 1995 | RTECS®- Toxic Substance Mechanisms. (Taylor & Francis, 1900 Frost Rd., Suite 101, Bristol, PA 19007) V.14- 1995- 14,13,1995 |
| RTECS®- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 1978 | RTECS®- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. (Academic Press, Inc., 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802) V.1- 1959- 45,362,1978 |
"RTECS®" is a United States trademark owned and licensed under authority of the U.S. Government, by and through MDL Information Systems, Inc.
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