The PEG Distearate ingredients (PEG-2 Distearate, PEG-3 Distearate, PEG-4 Distearate, PEG-6 Distearate, PEG-8 Distearate, PEG-9 Distearate, PEG-12 Distearate, PEG-20 Distearat, PEG-32 Distearate, PEG-75 Distearate, PEG-120 Distearate, PEG-150 Distearate, PEG-175 Distearate) range from liquids to solids or flakes. In cosmetics and personal care products, PEG Distearate ingredients are used in the formulation of shampoos, hair conditioners, personal cleanliness products, bath products, and skin care and skin cleansing products.
The safety of the PEG Distearate ingredients has been assessed by the
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that PEG-2, -3, -4, -6, -8, -9, -12, -20, -32, -75, -120, -150 and -175 Distearate were safe for use in cosmetic formulations.CIR Safety Review: The CIR Expert Panel noted that not all of the
polymer chain lengths covered in this assessment were reported to be used, but all are listed as cosmetic ingredients and may have been used in the past and could be used in the future. Very little toxicity data were available for the PEG Distearate ingredients. Related compounds including PEGs, PEGs Stearate, Steareths and
Stearic Acid, have previously been reviewed. In general, PEG ingredients have a low level toxicity whether the exposure is oral or dermal. Minimal ocular irritation is seen with PEGs, PEG Stearates, Steareths and
Stearic Acid. No evidence of mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, or reproductive and developmental toxicity of these related compounds was found. Use of PEG containing antibiotic ointment has been associated with kidney effects in burn patients. Kidney effects were only observed when the ointment was used several times each day over a large area of burned skin. The CIR Expert Panel recommended that cosmetic manufacturers should continue to adjust product formulations to minimize any untoward effects for products intended to be used on damaged skin. PEG Stearates, Steareths and
Stearic Acid were not irritants, sensitizers, or phototoxins.
Small amounts of 1,4-dioxane, a by-product of ethoxylation, may be found in PEG-Distearate ingredients. The potential presence of this material is well known and can be controlled through purification steps to remove it from the ingredients before blending into cosmetic formulations.
Link to more information about what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is doing to assure that cosmetics do not contain unsafe levels of 1,4-dioxane.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cosdiox.html
If the
Stearic Acid used to make PEG Distearates complies with European Union animal by-products legislation, PEG Distearates may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the
general provisions of the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union.
Link to the EU Cosmetics Directive:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/cosmetics/html/consolidated_d...