Petroleum Distillates

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes odorless light petroleum hydrocarbons on its list of multipurpose direct food additives. The safety of Petroleum Distillates has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Petroleum Distillates was safe as a cosmetic ingredient. In 2006, as part of its regular re-review of cosmetic ingredients, the CIR Expert Panel considered available new data on this ingredient and reaffirmed the above conclusion.

CIR Safety Review: Subchronic tests on a formulation containing 41.75% Petroleum Distillates did not reveal any adverse effects. Moderate skin irritation and mild, transient eye irritation were observed following a single exposure to undiluted Petroleum Distillates. Cosmetic formulations containing 29.2-55% Petroleum Distillates were generally nonirritating, and nonsensitizing, and nonphotosensitizing to human skin. It was concluded that Petroleum Distillates, as characterized in the report, was safe as a cosmetic ingredient.

Link to FDA Code of Federal Regulations for Petroleum hydrocarbons 
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr…

Petroleum is listed in Annex II of the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union and must not form part of the composition of cosmetics and personal care products.

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…