US EPA

5014494 

Technical Report 

Amended safety assessment of butyl polyoxyalkylene ethers as used in cosmetics 

Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel :: CIR Expert Panel 

2017 

Washington, DC 

77 

English 

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel (Panel) assessed the safety of 46 butyl polyoxyalkylene ethers that share a common structural motif, namely a butyl chain (4 carbon alkyl chain) bound to a polyoxyalkylene (PPG, PEG, or both); 23 of these ethers were previously reviewed by the Panel, and 23 are reviewed for the first time. Most of the butyl polyoxyalkylene ethers have several functions in cosmetics, but the most common functions include hair conditioning agent and skin conditioning agent, and many function as fragrance ingredients. Upon review of new data, including frequency and concentration of use, and data from previous CIR reports and on read-across analogs, the Panel concluded that these ingredients are safe in the present practices of use and concentration in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating.