PRESERVATIVE
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
The most common modern preservative; it keeps the product free of bacteria and mould. It sits well below 1% of the formula.
- products in our library
- 1909
- of researched products
- 49%
- on the label, in our conditioners
- usually #17
- most common in
- Conditioner
- in water
- Water-soluble
At a glance
Four named levels, read from this ingredient’s chemical class, its charge, its solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have. More dots means more of the property named — never “better”.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
What it is in the formula to protect.
Where it sits on the labels we have, in the category it appears in most.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 1 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses clean | 5 of 5 |
| Role | Keeps water-based formulas | 4 of 5 |
| Prominence | Secondary | 2 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Phenoxyethanol does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Anything with water in it needs one, over the life of the bottle.
Water alone removes it, so it does not accumulate between washes.
Hair neither pulls it in nor pushes it away.
Charge
Carries no charge, so it neither clings to hair nor is pushed away by it. Nonionic ingredients are the mild, pH-tolerant workhorses of a formula.
Solubility
Rinses out with water alone — it does not accumulate on hair between washes.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Conditioner
387 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Shampoo
337 products
|
secondary · #23 | |
Leave-in
285 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Mask / treatment
202 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Styler: gel
100 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Styler: mousse
93 products
|
secondary · #14 | |
Heat protectant
87 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Styler: curl cream
64 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Styler: paste
51 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Co-wash
49 products
|
secondary · #20 |
13 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Scalp treatment
44 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Styler: volumizer
36 products
|
secondary · #14 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
34 products
|
secondary · #22 | |
Finisher: oil
26 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: texture spray
26 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Finisher: serum
24 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Styler: hairspray
20 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Finisher: shine spray
12 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
10 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Styler: edge control
8 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: refresh spray
6 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Styler: lotion
5 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Finisher: end oil
3 products
|
secondary · #27 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioner | 387 | 55% | 17 | 4 | secondary |
| Shampoo | 337 | 41% | 23 | 4 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 285 | 68% | 16 | 2 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 202 | 52% | 17 | 5 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 100 | 64% | 13 | 3 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 93 | 67% | 14 | 3 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 87 | 60% | 16 | 3 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 64 | 61% | 18 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: paste | 51 | 57% | 15 | 6 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 49 | 50% | 20 | 6 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 44 | 28% | 16 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 36 | 55% | 14 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 34 | 61% | 22 | 5 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 26 | 15% | 15 | 7 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 26 | 45% | 16 | 7 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 24 | 30% | 12 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 20 | 21% | 19 | 6 | secondary |
| Finisher: shine spray | 12 | 18% | 18 | 6 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 10 | 43% | 16 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: edge control | 8 | 50% | 15 | 7 | secondary |
| Styler: refresh spray | 6 | 46% | 10 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: lotion | 5 | 42% | 9 | 7 | secondary |
| Finisher: end oil | 3 | 33% | 27 | 17 | secondary |
No product-type differences have been researched yet — the reading below is computed from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 8 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 421 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 580 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 602 |
| 26+ | Trace | 601 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Why it matters to shoppers
What this ingredient is evidence of, what it is not evidence of, and what our own method can and cannot tell you.
- a product that keeps over its shelf life
- a rinse-clean feel
- an exact safety score — we do not publish one, for any ingredient
- how a finished product performs by itself — that is the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle — label position never converts into a number
- a secondary preservative, listed below the main ingredients in our conditioners
- it was on the label of every product we counted — we read printed ingredient lists, not marketing copy
- that the product would be better without one
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
Ingredients that appear alongside this one most often in our library. Near-universal ingredients are excluded — they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 628
- Benzyl Alcohol · 572
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 570
- Tocopherol · 539
- Caprylyl Glycol · 525
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 485
- Disodium EDTA · 475
- Propylene Glycol · 472
- Cetyl Alcohol · 464
- Isopropyl Alcohol · 426
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to improve feel after rinsing, carry the formula and let it dry, and deliver a stated effect.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Pantene · Leave-in
Pro-V Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner
#2 on the label · $0.82/oz
Aphogee · Leave-in
ProVitamin Leave-In Conditioner
#3 on the label · $1.03/oz
Aussie · Leave-in
Kids Moist Detangler
#3 on the label · $0.71/oz
Aussie · Leave-in
Kids Moist Detangling Spray
#3 on the label · $0.62/oz
ghd · Heat protectant
Straight & Smooth Spray
#3 on the label · $6.28/oz
Lola From Rio · Styler
Meu Cacho Minha Vida Jelly Gel for Curl Definition
#3 on the label · $0.85/oz
Matrix · Leave-in
Brass Off All-In-One Toning Leave In Spray
#3 on the label · $2.94/oz
Sebastian · Styler
Volupt Thickefy Volumizing Mousse
#3 on the label · $3.59/oz
Alterna · Styler
Caviar Anti-Aging Multiplying Volume Masque
#4 on the label · $9.00/oz
Aphogee · Shampoo
Deep Moisture Shampoo
#4 on the label · $0.59/oz
Aphogee · Shampoo
Shampoo for Damaged Hair
#4 on the label · $0.80/oz
Aussie · Leave-in
Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner
#4 on the label · $0.63/oz
See all 1909 products in the library that list Phenoxyethanol
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Phenoxyethanol
- CAS 122-99-6
- PubChem 31236
- phenoxyethanol
- phenoxyethanol (and) ethylhexylglycerin
- phenoxyethanol (optiphen nd)
- phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol (optiphen nd)
- phenoxyethanol and natural fragrance
For your hair?
Whether Phenoxyethanol matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 1st most-listed preservative or antioxidant in our libraryWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above is read from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references — the consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem — Compound identity: CID 31236, CAS 122-99-6, C8H10O2 · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library — 1909 of 3889 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are named levels read from an ingredient’s chemical class, charge, solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have — never a score.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry; where none is, the row is simply absent rather than filled in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-08-28. Product-page methodology: the product library.