You might be wondering what the big deal surrounding phenoxyethanol is in the skincare industry.

Well, to lay down the facts, phenoxyethanol is a preservative that often sneaks its way into ‘all-natural’ skincare (even though it’s actually a synthetic). In actual fact, it’s banned from Ecocert, Cosmos and Certified Organic products.

Many ‘All Natural’ brands will use the ingredient in their products as it allows them to advertise that they are paraben free… which yes, they are paraben free but they are not natural at all. The skincare industry is not regulated which allows companies to continually get away with it.

Unless you previously knew about phenoxyethanol, I 100% guarantee that there are multiple self-care and skincare products in your home right now containing the ingredient.

I have hosted many workshops in the past where attendees run off to their bathroom cupboards to prove me wrong, because they are sure they only use 'all-natural' products. Only to discover this pesky ingredient IS actually in a whole lot of their products.

The many reasons I avoid the ingredient is due to the fact that it is linked to cancer, high levels of irritation, eczema, depressed nervous system in infants, and hormone disruptions and mimics estrogen in the body.

You might be thinking, why is it allowed at all? Well, it’s allowed at levels of up to 1%, anything past that will exceed safe limits. So that actually means, if you use more than one product that contains it then you’re over the safety limit. Think about how easy that is to do… Do you cleanse and moisturize? You’d be over the limit! Do you apply a serum and a moisturiser? Over the limit. Shampoo and conditioner – yes, over the limit. Foundation and primer? You get the picture.

Most of us will use multiple products every single day, and that’s where the concern lies, when there is a build up of toxicity. I should actually mention that phenoxyethanol is contained in green tea – but that’s the naturally occurring version, not the lab version you’ll find in skincare.

As you know, here at Seven Islands Skincare, safety is top priority. Never in a million years would I want to risk the health of any of you, nor your daughters, nieces or friends who are starting their own skincare journeys. This is why it’s so important to help you out and give you the information you need.

No matter our age, or our stage in skincare, we deserve the very best and the safest there is on offer, and of course Seven Island Skincare can provide this for you!

Did you find this information helpful? How did you go checking what’s in your cupboards? Please let me know.

Seven Islands Skincare
Written by Anne Marshall

Leave a comment

More stories

5 ways you can be happier

Doing what makes you feel happy and defining happiness will differ from person to person. Natural skincare, to me, is the perfect way to look aft...

Five reasons you need to exfoliate

Exfoliating is a crucial step towards healthy, glowing skin. Yet so many people miss this step...Don't let it be you! Here is a list of five rea...