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
- 3647
- of researched products
- 54%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #20
- most common in
- Shampoo
- in water
- Water-soluble
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
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, so it does not build up 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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Shampoo
682 products
|
secondary · #20 | |
Conditioner
679 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Leave-in
480 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Mask / treatment
361 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: gel
192 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Styler: curl cream
169 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Styler: mousse
149 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Scalp treatment
139 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Heat protectant
128 products
|
secondary · #14 | |
Styler: paste
119 products
|
secondary · #16 |
15 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: volumizer
88 products
|
secondary · #14 | |
Styler: hairspray
63 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
59 products
|
secondary · #19 | |
Co-wash
51 products
|
secondary · #20 | |
Styler: texture spray
49 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Finisher: serum
48 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Finisher: oil
42 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Finisher: shine spray
31 products
|
secondary · #18 | |
Styler: lotion
29 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Styler: edge control
28 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Styler: refresh spray
23 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Dry shampoo
19 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
16 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Finisher: end oil
2 products
|
secondary · #28 | |
Lightener
1 product
|
secondary · #27 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 682 | 44% | 20 | 4 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 679 | 60% | 17 | 4 | secondary |
| Leave-in | 480 | 70% | 15 | 2 | secondary |
| Mask / treatment | 361 | 62% | 15 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 192 | 72% | 12 | 3 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 169 | 74% | 18 | 5 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 149 | 74% | 13 | 3 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 139 | 48% | 18 | 4 | secondary |
| Heat protectant | 128 | 62% | 14 | 3 | secondary |
| Styler: paste | 119 | 60% | 16 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 88 | 61% | 14 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 63 | 26% | 17 | 5 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 59 | 73% | 19 | 5 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 51 | 51% | 20 | 5 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 49 | 50% | 16 | 5 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 48 | 35% | 12 | 3 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 42 | 15% | 15 | 6 | secondary |
| Finisher: shine spray | 31 | 30% | 18 | 5 | secondary |
| Styler: lotion | 29 | 81% | 13 | 4 | secondary |
| Styler: edge control | 28 | 74% | 13 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: refresh spray | 23 | 66% | 15 | 4 | secondary |
| Dry shampoo | 19 | 15% | 17 | 6 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 16 | 50% | 16 | 4 | secondary |
| Finisher: end oil | 2 | 25% | 28 | 17 | secondary |
| Lightener | 1 | 33% | 27 | 27 | secondary |
We have not researched differences by product type yet. The reading below comes 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 | 19 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 697 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 1019 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 982 |
| 26+ | Trace | 930 |
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 seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- 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, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a secondary preservative, listed below the main ingredients in our shampoos
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, 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
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 1696
- Benzyl Alcohol · 1077
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 1050
- Caprylyl Glycol · 1046
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 1013
- Tocopherol · 944
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 891
- Propylene Glycol · 850
- Disodium EDTA · 808
- Cetyl Alcohol · 795
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to soften the strand, carry the formula and let it dry, and improve feel after rinsing.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Bosley · Leave-in
Revive Color Safe Thickening Treatment
#2 on the label · $7.65/oz
Bosley · Leave-in
Revive Thickening Treatment For Non Color Treated Hair
#2 on the label · $6.34/oz
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
Design Essentials · Styler
Contours Protein Styling Gel
#3 on the label · $0.94/oz
Eco Style · Styler
Argan Oil Styling Gel
#3 on the label · $1.19/oz
Eco Style · Styler
Black Castor & Flaxseed Oil Styling Gel
#3 on the label · $0.31/oz
ghd · Heat protectant
Straight & Smooth Spray
#3 on the label · $6.28/oz
It's a 10 · Styler
He's a 10 Miracle Defining Styling Gel
#3 on the label · $3.80/oz
John Frieda · Finisher
The Rescuer Weightless Serum
#3 on the label · $7.59/oz
John Frieda · Finisher
Ultra Filler+ Thickening Hair Serum
#3 on the label · $6.00/oz
See all 3647 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
- optiphen plus (preservative)
- phenoxethanol
- phenoxtethanol
- 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 comes 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: 3647 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- 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. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
