This Sneaky Serum Ingredient Is Why You’re Getting Crow’s Feet

Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is a clear, synthetic liquid found in thousands of skincare products. It works to maintain adequate hydration levels, allow active ingredients to penetrate your skin and keep products from melting in high heat (like when you leave your serum in the car in the summer, for example). However, it's also gotten a bad rap in recent years-and with good reason!

As Purvisha Patel, MD at Visha Skincare notes, "propylene glycol (PG) is an alcohol that can actually dry out the skin," especially when it's not properly layered with moisturizer. Firstly, anything that's drying out your skin is speeding up the aging process, and showing up as wrinkles on your face. Uh-oh! But there's an even scarier reason why propylene glycol isn't doing your skin any favors.

Propylene glycol is actually a penetration-enhancing humectant, meaning that it absorbs moisture from the air, and thus allows harmful toxins to permeate your skin where they might otherwise not be able to do so. And if these molecules happen to be skin toxins (like pollutants or harsh chemical ingredients), they could harm the moisture barrier of the skin, causing all sorts of problems, like wrinkles and rashes.

For those with skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, propylene glycol can be especially problematic. The ingredient was ranked the American Contact Dermatitis Society's Allergen of the Year in 2018, precisely because it caused so many adverse reactions. It's known for causing minor irritations like rashes and itching when applied to the face.

Keep in mind that propylene glycol might not *always* be the culprit for any unwelcome wrinkles or rashes, because skincare products contain a lot of ingredients! It's best to run the issue by your dermatologist to get their expert opinion. Alternately, do a patch test with new propylene glycol-containing products before you go ahead and slather the stuff all over your face.