ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN

📋 Quick facts

Description: ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN — preservative booster, skin conditioning.

All Functions: preservative booster, skin conditioning

Quick Facts:

• Category: preservative
• Also Known As: etilexilglicerina

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Ethylhexylglycerin is a cosmetic ingredient with surfactant, emollient, skin-conditioning, and antimicrobial properties
• It’s a rare contact allergen—only about 0.25% of patch-tested patients showed allergic reactions
• Allergic reactions most commonly appear on the face
• Most people who react to it are female and over 40 years old
• It can trigger allergies even in products marketed as ‘hypoallergenic’ or ‘preservative-free’

⚗️ Chemical Overview

An emollient solvent with antimicrobial activity. an emollient solvent with antimicrobial activity

Source(s): DrugBank, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Ethylhexylglycerin (often abbreviated EHG) is a relatively newer ingredient in skincare that performs multiple functions in formulas. According to Contact Dermatitis (2016), it works as a surfactant (a substance that helps mix oil and water), an emollient (something that softens skin), a skin conditioner, and an antimicrobial agent (meaning it helps prevent microbial growth). While ethylhexylglycerin is uncommon as an allergen, #1: it is recognized as a contact allergen that can cause allergic contact dermatitis in some people (Contact Dermatitis, 2016). #2: The positive reaction rate is quite low at 0.25% among patch-tested patients, making it similar in allergen frequency to other low-allergenic preservatives like parabens, benzyl alcohol, and phenoxyethanol (Dermatitis, 2022).

When allergic reactions do occur, #3: they are usually clinically relevant, meaning they cause actual symptoms that matter to patients (Dermatitis, 2022). #4: The most common sites affected are the face and sometimes the hands or underarms (Contact Dermatitis, 2016), with the face being the single most common location (Dermatitis, 2022). #5: Most affected individuals are female and older than 40 years (Dermatitis, 2022), though reactions can occur across different ages and sexes. #6: Personal care products like moisturizers, lotions, and creams are the most common source of exposure, accounting for 59% of cases (Dermatitis, 2022). Notably, #7: allergic reactions have been documented in products specifically advertised as ‘hypoallergenic’ or ‘preservative-free’ (Contact Dermatitis, 2016).

The research is somewhat limited—only 13 cases were documented in one study and 39 in another—so while ethylhexylglycerin sensitivity is real, it remains quite rare in the general population. Patch testing with ethylhexylglycerin at a 5% concentration appears to be nonirritating and useful for diagnosis.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Linsen G et al. (2002). Allergic contact dermatitis from ethylhexylglycerin. Contact Dermatitis.
• Andersen KE (2012). Ethylhexylglycerin-a contact allergen in cosmetic products. Dermatitis.
• Aerts O et al. (2016). Ethylhexylglycerin: a low-risk, but highly relevant, sensitizer in ‘hypo-allergenic’ cosmetics. Contact Dermatitis.
• Warshaw EM et al. (2022). Patch Testing to Ethylhexylglycerin: The North American Contact Dermatitis Group Experience, 2013-2018. Dermatitis.
• Hagen SL et al. (2017). The Latest Occult “Hypoallergenic” Allergen: Ethylhexylglycerin. Dermatitis.

🧴 Products Containing ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN

• Beierdorf, Nivea Naturally good crema giorno idratante
• Nivea Sun Pflegende Sonnenmilch – LSF 50+ Sehr Hoch
• Nivea Q10 Plus Soin de jour FPS 15
• Nivea Sun kids Lait protecteur Protect & Sensitive
• Nivea NIVEA CREME DARK SPOT REDUCTION
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Night Care Cellular 50ml
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Sensitive Day Care 50ml
• Nivea Baby sun Crème solaire très haute protection FPS 50+
• nivea protector solar
• Nivea Sun Kids Lait Protecteur Format Voyage
• Nivea body lotion
• Nivea Hairmilk 7 Plus
• Nivea sun Crème Visage Solaire Anti-Rides UV Q10 FPS 50
• Nivea Nivea Men Fresh Active
• Palmers
• NIVEA kids sensitive protect
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Day Care Naturally Good 50ml
• nivea natural balance tagespflege
• Nivea Natturally good anti-age
• Nivea Naturally Good Avena Naturale Nutriente
• NIVEA Sun,NIVEA babies & kids sensitive protect 50+
• Nivea sun Crème Protection Solaire Spray FPS 50+ Sensitive
• Nivea sun NIVEA Sun Breathable Uv Specialist Luminous630 Anti-Spot SPF50+ Zonnefluïde
• Nivea, Nivea Sun Kids Sensitive Protect Spray, SPF50
• Nivea Sun UV Face Shine Control SPF 50
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Rice Scrub Smooth 75ml
• hhh
• Buchter’s Son, Murnauer Markenvertrieb GmbH Butcher’s Son Hydro Cream
• Balea, dm Deodorant sensitive
• Henkel, Göt2b Matt-Paste Strand Matte
• Just Glide Just Glide Anal
• douglas seathalasso
• Daytox Daytox Cleansing Foam
• cien cien bb crème
• Cien Sun Kids spray solaire
• Cien Cell Intense Cien
• Cien pure&fresh
• Sun Dance, Sundance Sonnencreme-Gel Sport
• Balea, Balea Med, dm Ultra Sensitive Waschlotion
• Eucerin Lotion Sun Protection kids SPF 50+