PROPYLENE GLYCOL

Name / description

Propylene Glycol; 1,2-Propanediol, 1,2-Dihydroxypropane

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Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products

FRAGRANCE FUNCTIONAL

Functional ingredient (excipient) of perfume oils and / or flavours

HUMECTANT

Holds and retains moisture in cosmetic products

SKIN CONDITIONING

Maintains the skin in good condition

SOLVENT

Dissolves other substances

VISCOSITY CONTROLLING

Increases or decreases the viscosity of cosmetic products

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Origin

synthetic plant/synthetic

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Occurrence in cosmetics

Various cosmetic products to apply on skin and hair, tooth, mouth and lipcare products, sunscreens, deodorants

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Occurrence in other products

Food additive (E 1520), wet wipes, home cleaning products, medical ointments, tablets, capsules, nose sprays, gargling solutions, technical cooling lubricants, de-icing agents, brake fluids

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Background information on use in cosmetics

Propylene glycol is chemically speaking a divalent alcohol and a colourless, slightly oily, sweetly tasting and almost odourless liquid which can be easily dissolved in water. Alcohols such as propylene glycol are, in addition to water, the most important solvents for cosmetic preparations. Propylene glycol is used, like glycerine, eg in skin creams, facial toners, toothpastes and deodorants mainly as solvent, solubiliser and / or humectant. Alcohols are generally hydroxy derivatives of aliphatic and alicyclic saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons. The systematic names are derived from those of the parent hydrocarbons by adding the ending -ol. Depending on the number of OH groups included in the molecule, reference is made to monohydric, bivalent (diols) or trivalent alcohols (triols). Depending on the position of the OH group(s) in the molecule it is distinguished between primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols. Especially the following alcohols are used as ingredients in cosmetic products: Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) as well as the polyvalent alcohols glycerine (glycerol), propylene glycol, butylene glycol, pentylene glycol and hexylene glycol. Fragrances or mixtures of fragrances are often referred to in the cosmetics area as "perfuming agents" or "perfume oils" or "parfum oils". On the cosmetic products they are declared with the INCI name "PARFUM". These are undiluted individual substances or their mixtures which originate from natural raw materials or can be produced (semi-) synthetically. They are starting materials for the production of perfume, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne and other perfumed cosmetic products. The average content of fragrances amounts in perfume to 15-30 %, in eau de parfum to 10-14 %, in eau de toilette to 6-9 %, in eau de cologne to 3-5 % as well as in skin creams, shampoos, hair and deodorant sprays to approximately 0.2-1 % and approximately 1-3 in deodorant sticks. The perfume oils include essential oils, resinoids and absolutes. The sources are, amongst others, flowers, leaves and stems, fruits and fruit peels or roots of plants; woods, grasses or herbs, needles, resins and balsams. Moreover, only compounds isolated from natural products such as aldehydes, ketones, esters, alcohols etc. are used (geraniol, citronellal, citral, eugenol, menthol) as well as semi-synthetic (citronellol, geranyl acetate, jonone) and synthetic scents (eg phenylethyl alcohol and linalool) are used. Scents of animal origin such as musk and ambra are only rarely used.

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Further information

For the clarification of a suspicion of a contact allergy this substance can be routinely tested in the epicutaneous test at the dermatologist.

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Belongs to the following substance groups

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Regulating cosmetics

Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.