Phenoxyerhanol ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a broad-spectrum preservative used to help protect water-based formulas from bacteria and yeast. It is often paired with organic acids or booster preservatives to strengthen coverage, especially against mold.
What does Phenoxyerhanol do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a broad-spectrum preservative used to help protect water-based formulas from bacteria and yeast. It is often paired with organic acids or booster preservatives to strengthen coverage, especially against mold.
Is Phenoxyerhanol clean?
It is widely accepted in conventional and many clean-beauty standards at regulated levels, but it has some clean-standard friction because it is synthetic and can be irritating for a small subset of users. In the EU and many other markets, finished products are typically capped at 1%.
Is Phenoxyerhanol sustainable?
This material is usually petrochemical-derived, although bio-based routes are possible but less common. It is not known for major bioaccumulation concerns and is generally considered biodegradable under appropriate conditions.
Is Phenoxyerhanol COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards, which creates a clear natural-certification gap. From a Green Chemistry view, its strengths are high efficacy at low dose and good formula stability, while its weaker points are synthetic feedstock and limited renewable sourcing.
How does Phenoxyerhanol work chemically?
The molecule is an aromatic glycol ether with both a phenyl ring and an alcohol function, giving it moderate water compatibility and useful partitioning into microbial membranes. It is commonly used up to 1% and is stable across a broad pH range, which makes it compatible with many emulsions, gels, and surfactant systems.
Last updated 2026-05-13