Eye Cream Irritation from Preservative

Asked by: go_lf555 On: February 21, 2015 Product Type: Cosmetics

Question

My eye cream formulation, which uses phenoxyethanol as a preservative, causes a burning sensation and tearing around the eyes. What could be the reason for this irritation?

Answer

Based on the conversation you provided, the burning sensation and tearing you experienced from your eye cream formulation were likely caused by the preservative, phenoxyethanol.

While phenoxyethanol is a common preservative, it is known to potentially cause skin irritation, particularly in sensitive areas like the skin around the eyes.

Your experience of the irritation resolving after you switched to a different preservative ("Eye Preserve") confirms that phenoxyethanol was the probable cause in your original formulation.