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As with water, propylene glycol is used in cosmetics mostly as a solvent and also helps to bind the various ingredients in a product. Some well meaning people however write horror stories about how propylene is an anti-freeze and that it is dangerous for use on the skin. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined propylene glycol to be "GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS SAFE" (GRAS) for use in food, cosmetics, and medicines and the World Health Organization also recognizes it as safe for use.
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The CTFA classified propylene glycol as a humectant, skin-conditioning agent humectant, skin-conditioning agent miscellaneous, solvent and viscosity decreasing agent.
Propylene glycol is metabolized by the body into lactic acid, which occurs naturally when muscles are exercised, while ethylene glycol is metabolized into oxalic acid, which is toxic.
The reference to anti-freeze is however correct, as it can be used as a non-toxic antifreeze but the grade of propylene glycol used in cosmetics is not the same as that used in anti-freeze. The toxic glycol is ethylene glycol and is not used in cosmetics.
Other criticism of propylene glycol focuses on what is supposedly disclosed on the ingredient's Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). For the record, the MSDS of the propylene glycol we use, contains no indications of carcinogenicity or chronic exposure effects.
We however are confident that research and a long history of safe usage have shown this ingredient to be both safe and appropriate in cosmetic use.
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