What does PEG free actually mean?

You will have noticed that in the descriptions of some of our products we state that they are PEG free. PEG stands for polyethylene glycols - petroleum-based compounds used in cosmetics and personal care products where they act as a solvent, emollient, humectant or thickener.

However, they are synthetic compounds that are produced using ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. These substances are considered a human carcinogen, which in practice means that they can damage a person's nervous system, increase skin aging, penetrative effect, which means that unwanted ingredients can get deep into the skin more easily (PEGs are not always pure, but are often contaminated with a number of toxic impurities, often traces of heavy metals as well).

At the same time, 1,4-dioxane is also an environmental toxin. The abbreviation PEG is usually followed by a number (e.g. PEG-4, PEG-7, PEG-100) indicating how many units of ethylene glycol it contains (the lower the number, the more easily it is absorbed into the skin).

Thus, PEG compounds cause irritation, hypersensitivity and skin damage, but a lot also depends on the condition of your skin. At the same time, there are brands on the market that do use PEG compounds in their products, but they are responsible enough to purify them of unwanted ingredients.