Propylene Glycol is a very efficient co-solvent, humectant and water-soluble skin moisturizer. It is a superior lightweight ingredient that has water-binding capacity and can help other ingredients penetrate the skin.
For years Propylene Glycol was one of the most common ingredients in cosmetics, then research indicated that it was a skin irritant and sensitizer. Based on this, a number of companies even replaced it in their formulations. The replacement ingredients were less effective, but cosmetic companies made a great deal of publicity about removing it. In their publicity, some even described propylene glycol as antifreeze, brake fluid, etc.! Hundreds of thousands of compounds (like Propylene Glycol) are used in a great many different industries. It's no different than water. Water is an essential part of our diet, but it is also used in drain cleaners. Almost every cosmetic ingredient has an "industrial" use as well as body beautifying purposes. The difference is that the industrial compounds are very crude and may contain impurities, whereas the cosmetic or pharmaceutical versions are highly purified and virtually free from impurities and contaminants.
New findings by the Cosmetics Ingredients Review panel have given Propylene Glycol a clean slate. The FDA has given it a Category 1 rating, a reliable category for any cosmetics ingredient. The Propylene Glycol used in Harper products is a specially refined Pharmaceutical Grade (U.S.P./N.F. Standard) which is totally free of any contaminants that could be found in the technical grade version. All ingredients used in the Harper products meet or exceed the highest standard of purity dictated by government regulations.
Billions of pounds of Propylene Glycol have been used in many skin and hair care products for over 50 years. It's overall safety record is proven and it will be used in personal care products for many years to come because it offers so many valuable features and benefits to skin and hair care formulas - especially those that contain botanicals. Propylene Glycol is used as the best co-solvent to extract the vital ingredients from the plants used in the Harper skin and hair care botanicals. In addition to being an excellent skin moisturizer (humectant), Propylene Glycol also acts as a preservative and formulation stabilizer.