Propylene glycol (skin)

Studies in people

• Concern

  Skin allergy risk¹

  Patch tests show propylene glycol can be a weak allergen for some people, but animal and lab tests say otherwise.

• Concern

  Skin reactions to a common ingredient²

  Propylene glycol can cause skin reactions, but patch tests are hard to read because it both irritates and sensitizes.

• Concern

  Skin irritation risk³

  Propylene glycol caused no skin allergies in people at use levels, but irritation concerns remained.

• Concern

  Skin allergy cross-reactions⁴

  In people allergic to butylene glycol, propylene glycol often caused a reaction too, but less often the other way around.

• Concern

  Skin reactions to creams⁵

  Propylene glycol in moisturizers and medicated creams caused allergic skin reactions in a small number of tested patients.

• Concern

  Skin reactions to products⁶

  Propylene glycol in skin care can cause allergic or irritant reactions, and stronger concentrations caused more reactions in patch-tested patients.

Animal and lab studies only

• Concern

  How much gets through skin⁷

  In lab studies, propylene glycol helped some ingredients pass through skin, especially water-loving ones, by loosening skin fats.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what published research says about putting it on skin. Talk to a doctor or dermatologist about your own skin.