What are PEG compounds?
PEG’s or polyethylene glycols are petroleum-based compounds used in cosmetics and personal care products to help keep ingredients stable and enhance the penetration of other active ingredients. PEGs are typically followed by a number indicating how many units of ethylene glycol they contain, for example PEG-4 or PEG-100; the lower the number, the more easily the compound is absorbed into skin.What products are PEG compounds in
PEG’s can be found in a variety of personal care products and cosmetics as cream bases. They are also used in the pharmaceutical industry as laxatives [1].How to tell if a product has PEG compounds
PEG compounds may also appear on products labels simply as “PEG”, but they’re not one single ingredient. Rather PEG’s are a class of ethylene glycol polymers that are sometimes listed as ceteareth or polyethylene compounds [1].Risks associated with PEG compounds
PEG’s are synthetic chemicals that may be contaminated by the presence of 1,4-dioxane, a chemical that the U.S. government has identified as a probable human carcinogen [1] [3] [2]. Exposure to PEG’s and trace amounts of 1,4-dioxne can lead to a number of health concerns including:- Damage to the nasal cavity
- Liver damage
- Kidney damage
- Death [3]
