[Propylene Glycol Supply and Purchasing] Are moisturizing skin care products containing propylene glycol irritating?

Propylene glycol is a Organic compounds (diols) are usually slightly sweet, odorless, colorless and transparent oily liquids that absorb moisture and are easily mixed with water, acetone, and chloroform. Propylene glycol is produced by the hydration of propylene oxide.

Are moisturizing skin care products containing propylene glycol irritating?

Irritation, yes, propylene glycol does have this problem, especially at high concentrations This is also an important reason for its gradual elimination. However, we cannot simplify this issue. It does not mean that if you see a product containing propylene glycol, it will definitely cause irritation.

Generally speaking, propylene glycol at a concentration below 5% is relatively safe and can be considered non-irritating. Most skin care products, especially when using propylene glycol as a preservative solvent, do not exceed the concentration. Of course, in moisturizing products, the concentration may be much higher. So will it definitely cause irritation?

Not necessarily. Experiments have shown that propylene glycol often causes irritant dermatitis when used with occlusive agents, with the rate roughly ranging from 12% to 16%. The so-called occlusive agent, the oily moisturizing ingredient in moisturizing products, plays this role. This means that if a moisturizing product contains both propylene glycol and oil-based moisturizing ingredients, the propylene glycol may cause irritation much more than a product that does not contain oil-based moisturizing ingredients.

In addition, the stimulating effect of propylene glycol varies in different seasons. Generally speaking, the probability of occurrence is higher in winter. , reaching 18%-22%, while in summer it is greatly reduced, only 5%-8%. Therefore, on this issue, for non-moisturizing products with a low concentration of propylene glycol, I believe that the irritating effect of propylene glycol needs to be avoided. As for summer use, especially products that do not contain oily moisturizing ingredients, the irritating effect of propylene glycol Individuals can just keep an eye on possible adverse reactions without talking about them.