If you read the labels on your personal care products, you will likely see the acronym PEG in the list of ingredients.
PEG stands for polyethylene glycol and is a compound you will find it is fairly common. But just how safe is polyethylene glycol?
Let’s take a look at PEG and its well-documented side effects. We also review some suspected side effects for which studies are just emerging.
What Is polyethylene glycol?
Polyethylene glycol is a compound derived from the by-products resulting from the refinement of petroleum, natural gas, or coal. Polyethylene glycol is not a single chemical entity. It is a category of compounds in which polyethylene and glycol have been bonded together.
Different forms of polyethylene glycol are typically noted by a number after the abbreviation “PEG,” such as PEG-100, PEG-3350, and so on. This number represents the molecular weight of that specific compound.
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