Caredermis

Phenoxyethanol

Severity 3/10

preservative

Is Phenoxyethanol safe?

Phenoxyethanol carries only minor concerns (irritation) at typical cosmetic levels.

In plain language

Today's most common preservative, considered safe by the SCCS up to 1%. French authorities advise avoiding it in wipes and diaper-area products for children under 3 as a precaution.

A Caredermis plain-language explanation to help you read the label — not a regulator statement. The sourced facts are the classifications and status shown on this page.

Documented concerns

Each concern below is drawn from official data — see the cited sources ↓

Irritation

3/10

Occasional stinging and irritation, mostly around eyes and on damaged skin.

Official regulatory status

Pulled directly from official regulatory datasets and expert reviews — not our own judgement.

EU-permitted preservative (max 1.0%)CIR: reviewed safe

EU SCCS safety opinions

  • · Opinion concerning Restrictions on Materials listed in annex VI of Directive 76/768/EEC on Cosmetic Products
  • · OPINION ON Phenoxyethanol
Read SCCS opinions ↗

Guidance by skin profile

Caredermis editorial guidance based on the concerns above — checked against the official records on every build, but not itself a regulator statement.

  • Sensitive skinNo specific concern
  • Oily & acne-proneNo specific concern
  • Dry skinNo specific concern
  • PregnancyNo specific concern
  • Babies & kidsUse with caution
  • Eczema-proneNo specific concern

Sources

Each authority below is shown only because our ingested copy of its data lists Phenoxyethanol — not because we asserted it. Follow a link to verify the classification or regulation directly.

CIR conclusion from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Quick Reference Table — cir-safety.org (snapshot in data/sources/)(point-in-time snapshot; CIR's live record may have been updated since).

See our methodology for how these map to concern levels. Informational only — not medical advice.

Products in our library containing Phenoxyethanol

Related ingredients

Ingredients with a similar role or shared type of concern — useful for comparing what's on your label.

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