Tr
Triethylene Glycol
Triethylene Glycol
A small glycol that carries scent and makes a formula runnier.
What it does
It’s a single small molecule, three ethylene oxide units long, the smallest member of the PEG family. It’s there for the formula, not to change your skin.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUS safety reviewers (2010) judged triethylene glycol and PEGs safe as used. Triethylene glycol is a single small molecule, three ethylene oxide units long, used in scent and to thin formulas. Across the group, they found little irritation or allergy on skin. Commercial triethylene glycol has held under 1 ppm of 1,4-dioxane, an impurity the reviewers asked makers to remove.Cosmetic 2010 · Cosmetic Ingredient Review ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
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