- beauty
- cleaning
- industrial
- pharma
Phenoxyethanol
CAS 122-99-6 · 20/100 · High conf.
Also registered as 6 other CAS numbers
9004-78-8 · 37220-49-8 · 56257-90-0 · 1020398-73-5 · 1630984-41-6 · 2975567-02-1
Concern score
20/100Minor concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence
Phenoxyethanol in plain language
Also known as 2-PHENOXYETHANOL · 2-Phenoxyethan-1-ol · Phenoxethol · (2-Hydroxyethoxy)benzene · .beta.-hydroxyethyl phenyl ether · 1-Hydroxy-2-phenoxyethane
Show all 25 names
2-Hydroxyethyl phenyl ether · 2-Phenoxyethyl alcohol · 2-fenoxietanol · Arosol · Beta-phenoxyethanol · Dowanol EP · Dowanol EPH · Emeressence 1160 · Ethylene glycol monophenyl ether · Glycol monophenyl ether · Phenoxetol · Phenoxyethyl alcohol · Phenoxytol · Phenyl cellosolve · Phenylmonoglycol ether · Rose ether · ethylene glycol phenyl ether · ethylene glycol phenyl ether/2-phenoxyethanol · phenoxyethanolum
Used in cosmetics as a preservative and an antimicrobial. Phenoxyethanol is the aromatic ether alcohol.
- Preservative
- Antimicrobial
- Antioxidant
- Film former
- Solvent
- Fragrance
- Minor concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.
What the listings say
Permitted, with conditions — Phenoxyethanol appears on published "allowed" regulatory lists rather than on a restriction list.
2-Phenoxyethanol is listed in Annex V of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 (preservatives allowed in cosmetic products).
The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.
Regulation
No restrictions found. Phenoxyethanol appears in these published regulatory listings.
- In marketed US drugs
- EU Annex V — permitted preservative
- EU permitted preservative
- Inactive ingredient in US drugs
- Found in consumer products
- Beauty
- Cleaning
- Industrial
USFDAinactive ingredient database6 entries
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL; Potency: 1.05 %w/wSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL, FOAM; Maximum daily exposure: 72 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Maximum daily exposure: 57 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM, AUGMENTED; Maximum daily exposure: 10 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: GEL; Maximum daily exposure: 14 mgSource →
- Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: LOTION; Potency: 1 %w/wSource →
EUECallowed_listedAnnex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: preservatives allowed in cosmetic products. Maximum concentration: 1.0%
- Annex V of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: preservatives allowed in cosmetic products. Maximum concentration: 1.0%Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 23578 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Specialty occupational products, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Preservative, Antioxidant, Fragrance.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 23578 composition records across product categories including Raw materials, Specialty occupational products, Home maintenance. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Preservative, Antioxidant, Fragrance.Source →
USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 2 active drug products and 18 total products.
- FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 2 active drug products and 18 total products.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →
Expert safety opinions
No expert opinion on file for Phenoxyethanol. These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.
SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.
Evidence & sources
No graded research studies for Phenoxyethanol yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.
Where this comes from
- Open →
CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
- Open →
EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes
regulatory · updated 2020-07-28
- Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated september 30, 2013
- Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
- Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
- Open →
FDA National Drug Code Directory
regulatory · updated 2028-03-09
- Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
- Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
- Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Reference links (1)
Suitability
Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.
Food use
Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.
The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.
Fragrance avoidance
Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.
The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.
Where it has been recorded
How often EPA CPDat has listed Phenoxyethanol in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.
Source records
23,578
Named organisations
6
Raw materialsSpecialty occupational productsHome maintenanceLaboratory suppliesElectronics/small appliancesCleaning products and household care
Typical roles
PreservativeAntimicrobialAntioxidantFilm formerSolventFragrance
Found in these products
Their ingredient lists include Phenoxyethanol; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.
- moisturising creamCeraVe · Baume Hydratant
- CeraVe Schuimende ReinigingsgelCeraVe · Beauty
- Foaming cleanserL'Oréal,Cerave · Non Food Products
- Nivea softNivéa · Cosmetic Products
- CeraVe Hydraterende ReinigingscrèmeCerave · Beauty
- idéal soleilVichy · Non Food Products
- Cream pure urea 10%Deliplus · Body
- CeraVe Hydraterende ReinigingscrèmeCeraVe · Face
- Gel 92 % Aloe veraBetty's nature · Gel Corps
- CeraVe Hydraterende MelkCeraVe · Beauty
- NottregonaNeutrogena · Open Beauty Facts
- gel nettoyantLa Roche-Posay · Face Cleansing Gel
- CeraVe Hydraterende MelkCeraVe · Bodylotion
- body lotionNivea · Beurre De Cocoa
- CeraVe Hydraterende CrèmeBeauty
- ToallitasDodot
- neutrogena creme mainNeutrogena, Freeos · Plant Based Foods And Beverages
- pantine pro-vpantine · Open Beauty Facts
- Crème pour la peau ClassicCien · Body
- lidl crème de soin hydratantecien · Non Food Products
- Loción Corporal HidrataDeliplus · Beauty
- 5 protectionNarta · Hygiene
- Crema oliveDeliplus,Mercadona · Fats
- shampooclear · Open Beauty Facts
Often appears with
Ingredients that frequently appear alongside Phenoxyethanol in the catalog.