At Plaine Products, we pride ourselves on being a sustainable low-toxic brand you can share with the whole family. We take ingredient sourcing very seriously and work with a small U.S.-based manufacturer that shares the same ingredient standards. Often we have to make difficult choices about ingredients to keep our products safe and effective. We know there are trade-offs that come with every decision, and we want to be transparent about those choices so you can make informed decisions as a consumer.

There are a few ingredients we use that make some “ingredients of concern” lists. They include phenoxyethanol, polysorbate, and synthetic dye. All of these ingredients are at or near the end of our ingredient list, making them less than 1% of the total product. Still, we want to be transparent about what they’re used for, any risks with using them, and our rationale behind including them.

Phenoxyethanol

Phenoxyethanol is used as a preservative in our styling gel and face moisturizer. Preservatives are an important part of any manufactured product to prevent the growth of mold or bacteria, resulting in a safer product and longer shelf life. In most of our products, we use potassium sorbate for this purpose. Unfortunately, that didn’t work with the styling gel formulation so we opted for phenoxyethanol instead. With our face moisturizer, we recently made the switch. We were having some issues keeping it stable. Customer safety is of upmost importance to us, and switching to phenoxyethanol was the best way to ensure that.

The good news is, according to the EWG Skin Deep Database we are not using it in ways that are the most concerning. EWG gives phenoxyethanol a safety rating of 2 – 4 (1 being perfectly safe, 10 unsafe), depending on its usage:

• This ingredient’s score is higher if used in product forms that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns.
• The score is lower if used in product forms that have a lower risk of inhalation (e.g., solids, liquids).
• This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products that may not meet industry safety guidelines or U.S. and international government requirements. The score will be lower if used in products that meet these safety guidelines and requirements.

Fortunately, styling gel is not intended for the mouth and its gel form does not lend itself to inhalation. We felt it was a good trade-off to offer an effective, sustainably packaged styling gel option.

There are also concerns that phenoxyethanol can be commonly contaminated with ethylene oxide or benzene, both known human carcinogens. We have had conversations with our manufacturer regarding this. They have assured us they are purchasing from high-quality sources where contamination is not a concern.

Polysorbate 20 & 80

Polysorbate is an ingredient that we use as an emulsifier in our hand wash and styling gel. This ingredient is relatively safe on its own, with EWG giving it a rating of 1-2/Fair. The main concern is with contamination. Polysorbate may contain ethylene oxide, a known human carcinogen or trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen. Again, we have had conversations with our manufacturer regarding this. They have once again assured us they are purchasing from high-quality sources where contamination is not a concern.

CI 60730 (Violet No. 2)

This is the dye we use in our new purple shampoo, which helps neutralize brassy tones while revitalizing blonde and white tones. When formulating this shampoo, we experimented with using natural dyes at first. Unfortunately, they didn’t give the desired results, which led us to experiment with synthetic dyes instead. It’s important that our products be sustainable but also effective, which this dye helped us achieve.

When looking at the safety of this ingredient, we once again look at the context of usage. According to EWG, CI 60730’s score is between 3-6. It’s in the higher range if it’s in products intended for use around the mouth, around the eyes, or on damaged skin. This is due to increased risk of absorption which can cause irritation, allergies & immunotoxicity, and/or non-reproductive organ system toxicity. CI 60730 is considered to be safe for limited use in cosmetics. It is not suspected to be an environmental toxin or bioaccumulative. There are other shampoos on the market that also have this ingredient and were given an overall safety score of 1 & 2 by EWG. It’s also listed as the last ingredient in these products, similar to ours.

Our Promise to You

Above all else, at Plaine Products we value openness and transparency with our customers. We strive to do our best for both people and the planet in an industry that makes it hard to do so. It’s not easy, and sometimes we have to make tough choices to ensure our products are effective while maintaining their sustainability. We’re always learning, growing and adapting.

If you love learning about ingredients in your personal care products, stay tuned for our monthly ingredients blog posts!