Should I Avoid propylene glycol stearate During Pregnancy? | VeriMom

What to use instead

Pregnancy-safe ingredients that serve a similar function:

Pregnancy-safe products to use instead

Products built around the safer ingredients above, scored "no known risks" or "low risk".

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Bitamin

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Bitamin Natural Deodorant N'orange

Avero

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Avero Solid Deodorant

Laura Mercier

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Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum Spf 20 - Oil Free

Facetheory

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facetheory Summer Body Glow B6 SPF 15

Dr Teals's

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Pregnancy-Safe Alternatives to propylene glycol stearate | VeriMom

Ingredients — Pregnancy-Safe Ingredients Database — 28,000+ Ingredients Rated

See also

• Is propylene glycol stearate safe during pregnancy?
• Is propylene glycol stearate safe for babies?
• What are pregnancy-safe alternatives to propylene glycol stearate?

FAQ

Is propylene glycol stearate safe during pregnancy?

No harmonised CLP reproductive classification (no H360/H361 harmonised listing found on ECHA), and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) concluded propylene glycol esters (including propylene glycol stearate/monostearate) are safe as used in cosmetics; the substance is a large, lipophilic ester with low dermal absorption though it can hydrolyze to propylene glycol and fatty acids (CIR, ECHA dossiers). Therefore default hazard = 0; mechanism = 0 (no known reproductive mechanism); exposure = 1 (low but measurable dermal exposure). Sources: CIR safety assessment of propylene glycol esters; ECHA registration/registration dossier statements; COSING/COSMETICS ingredient entries.

Is propylene glycol stearate safe while breastfeeding?

Same rationale as pregnancy: no evidence of reproductive/developmental toxicity, no harmonised CLP classification, and CIR concluded safety in cosmetic use. Dermal exposure from topical products is low but measurable; transfer into breastmilk is not reported for this ester specifically. Hydrolysis to propylene glycol (well-characterized) is possible but does not imply breastfeeding-specific hazard at cosmetic exposures.

Is propylene glycol stearate safe for baby skin?

Hazard and mechanism unchanged (no evidence of reproductive or developmental toxicity for the ingredient itself). Exposure score increased by +1 for infants because immature skin barrier and higher surface-area-to-weight increase systemic uptake relative to adults; the parent ester is relatively large and not highly dermally permeable, but measurable absorption and potential hydrolysis to propylene glycol justify a baby exposure score of 2. CIR and other safety reviews do not identify infant‑specific hazards but data are limited.

How does VeriMom score propylene glycol stearate?

VeriMom scores propylene glycol stearate at 33/100 (high risk) based on EU CosIng status, ECHA hazard classifications, and peer-reviewed PubMed studies. Our scoring pipeline is fully transparent.

What are pregnancy-safe alternatives to propylene glycol stearate?

See our curated list of pregnancy-safe alternatives to propylene glycol stearate based on similar function and a no-known-risks safety band.