If you are used to reading product labels and ingredient lists like me, you will notice that Propylene Glycol appears quite a bit from everything from shampoo to food items. I recently saw it as an ingredient in fruit roll ups. So what exactly is Propylene Glycol and is it good for us? “When listed in food products, it is is a form of mineral oil, an alcohol produced by fermentation of yeast and carbohydrates. This gives it the designation of carbohydrate when used in foods. It is commonly used as a solvent in oral, topical and injectable drug products as well as in foods.” This doesn’t sound good to me, so it is safe? “The FDA includes Pharmaceutical grade PG on its Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list. The World Health Organization also considers it as safe for use.” This safety rating has been debated over as the concentration of Propylene Glycol varies from product to product. It seems that formulations of Propylene Glycol that are less than 50% concentrate are safe for use, however it was also found that Propylene Glycol provoked allergic reactions in patients with eczema and other skin allergies, even in formulations of much less than 50%.
In order to be on the safe side, my recommendation would be to avoid products containing Propylene Glycol as there has been documented toxic effects after repeated small doses of propylene glycol were ingested or repeatedly applied to the skin. In Europe where authorities are more cautious about what is allowed in foods and cosmetics, it is limited to non-food uses.
