Remember when BPA in plastic drinking products became public news? There was a mad rush by marketing experts to solve the problem of a cancer causing agent in your food.
The quickest way to accomplish that dilemma was to reformulate slightly and change the name to BPS. Problem solved for manufacturers, but not so for consumers.
The new re-marketing of personal care products spills "paraben-free" on labels and usually adds something organic or an essential oil to make you believe the product has only your health and safety in mind. So what is replacing dangerous parabens as they leave the scene?
The new "no paraben" additives are often being replaced casually by PHENOXYETHANOL. Is it safer? Who knows. It does have known dangers and is discussed as being connected to reproductive damage, brain issues and disruptions to the nervous system.
Like most dangerous elements, the government entities that you trust, have little to say about the dangers and few regulations. They mention problematic issues, but rely on any one body only coming in contact with small doses. The problem is that the use is now too wide spread to count on being only slightly affected. Your skin absorbs into your body and daily use of several of these additives can be harmful. They are like fertilizer for future illness.
A little bit of poison in a lot of personal care products adds up to trouble. Because phenoxyethanol is used as a perservative, you will find it in many shampoos, cosmetics and lotions. Unfortunately, you will also find it in items claiming to be natural. This means reading every item on a label is the only way to find truly clean products. If you aren't curious enough to research anything you don't understand, you can use the "If I can't pronounce it, I don't buy it" method.
Adding to the winding road to discovery you will find this product under many names. You may see it listed by these and more. HYDROXYETHYL PHENYL ETHER, 2-PHENOXY- ETHANOL, 2-PHENOXYETHANOL, 2-PHENOXYETHYL ALCOHOL, ETHANOL, 2-PHENOXY-, ETHANOL, 2PHENOXY, ETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOPHENYL ETHER, PHENOXYETHANOL, and PHENOXYTOL ... CPS&Q.