Is Hair Styling Gel Safe? Ingredient Analysis
Dove Men Care
Hair Styling Gel is one of the skincare products analyzed by Zerotox for Dove Men Care. The product scores 60/100 in Zerotox, meaning it looks generally acceptable but still includes some ingredients worth reviewing.
The sections below explain why ingredients like Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Disodium Edta affect the overall evaluation.
60 / 100
Why score is 60
The composition includes PVP and VP/VA copolymer for hold, but also contains synthetic ingredients like phenoxyethanol and fragrance, raising quality concerns.
Main concern
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that raises concerns about potential skin irritation.
Why it matters: This ingredient is flagged in our analysis based on regulatory and scientific sources. Check the Ingredients section for details and see Data sources for methodology.
Regulation status: Ingredient safety is assessed from EU/EPA/CIR and similar databases; formulations may vary. Always read the product label.
Pros
- PVP and VP/VA copolymer provide effective styling hold, contributing positively to performance.
- Glycerin acts as a humectant, helping to retain moisture in hair, which is beneficial for styling.
- Caprylyl glycol is a skin-conditioning agent that enhances the product's feel on application.
Concerns
- Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that raises concerns about potential skin irritation.
- Fragrance may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, impacting overall safety.
- Benzyl alcohol is a preservative that can be irritating to the skin, which may affect sensitive users.
Who should avoid this product?
This product may be less suitable for:
- people with sensitive skin or fragrance sensitivity
- users trying to avoid silicones
Ingredients breakdown
Instead of a flat list, this section explains each ingredient in the context of this skincare.
-
Is Water safe in this skincare?
Good
Water is used here as base. Water serves as the primary solvent in this gel, providing a medium for other ingredients to dissolve and function effectively.
Role in formula: base
Original: WATER (EAU)
-
Is Pvp safe in this skincare?
Medium
Pvp is used here as stabilizer. PVP is a synthetic polymer used for its film-forming properties, providing hold in hair styling products but may raise concerns about synthetic additives.
Role in formula: stabilizer
Original: PVP
-
Is Vp Va Copolymer safe in this skincare?
Medium
Vp Va Copolymer is used here as stabilizer. This copolymer enhances the gel's hold and texture, but its synthetic nature may be a concern for some consumers.
Role in formula: stabilizer
Original: VP/VA COPOLYMER
-
Is Propylene Glycol safe in this skincare?
Medium
Propylene Glycol is used here as solvent. Propylene glycol is used as a solvent and humectant, but it can cause irritation in sensitive individuals.
Role in formula: solvent
Original: PROPYLENE GLYCOL
-
Is Glycerin safe in this skincare?
Good
Glycerin is used here as humectant. Glycerin is a natural humectant that helps retain moisture, contributing positively to the product's moisturizing properties.
Role in formula: humectant
Original: GLYCERIN
-
Is Phenoxyethanol safe in this skincare?
Bad
Phenoxyethanol is used here as preservative. Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that can cause skin irritation and raises concerns about its safety in cosmetic formulations.
Role in formula: preservative
Original: PHENOXYETHANOL
-
Is Isoceteth 20 safe in this skincare?
Medium
Isoceteth 20 is used here as emulsifier. Isoceteth-20 is used to help blend ingredients, but its synthetic nature may raise quality concerns.
Role in formula: emulsifier
Original: ISOCETETH-20
-
Is Triethanolamine safe in this skincare?
Medium
Triethanolamine is used here as buffer. Triethanolamine is used to adjust pH but can be irritating to the skin, which may affect sensitive users.
Role in formula: buffer
Original: TRIETHANOLAMINE
-
Is Peg 12 Dimethicone safe in this skincare?
Medium
Peg 12 Dimethicone is used here as conditioning_agent. This silicone derivative provides a smooth feel but may build up on hair over time, raising concerns about long-term use.
Role in formula: conditioning_agent
Original: PEG-12 DIMETHICONE
-
Is Fragrance safe in this skincare?
Bad
Fragrance is used here as fragrance. Fragrance can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, impacting the product's overall safety profile.
Role in formula: fragrance
Original: FRAGRANCE (PARFUM)
-
Is Caprylyl Glycol safe in this skincare?
Medium
Caprylyl Glycol is used here as conditioning_agent. Caprylyl glycol is a skin-conditioning agent that enhances the product's feel but may cause irritation in some users.
Role in formula: conditioning_agent
Original: CAPRYLYL GLYCOL
-
Is Carbomer safe in this skincare?
Medium
Carbomer is used here as thickener. Carbomer is used to thicken the gel, but its synthetic nature may raise concerns for some consumers.
Role in formula: thickener
Original: CARBOMER
-
Is Polyquaternium 4 safe in this skincare?
Medium
Polyquaternium 4 is used here as conditioning_agent. Polyquaternium-4 provides conditioning benefits but is a synthetic polymer that may raise quality concerns.
Role in formula: conditioning_agent
Original: POLYQUATERNIUM-4
-
Is Disodium Edta safe in this skincare?
Bad
Disodium Edta is used here as chelating_agent. Disodium EDTA is used to bind metal ions but raises concerns about synthetic additives and environmental impact.
Role in formula: chelating_agent
Original: DISODIUM EDTA
-
Is Benzyl Alcohol safe in this skincare?
Bad
Benzyl Alcohol is used here as preservative. Benzyl alcohol is a preservative that can be irritating to the skin, which may affect sensitive users.
Role in formula: preservative
Original: BENZYL ALCOHOL
-
Is Benzyl Salicylate safe in this skincare?
Medium
Benzyl Salicylate is used here as fragrance. Benzyl salicylate is used for fragrance but can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
Role in formula: fragrance
Original: BENZYL SALICYLATE
-
Is Linalool safe in this skincare?
Bad
Linalool is used here as fragrance. Linalool is a fragrance component that can cause allergic reactions, impacting the product's safety for sensitive users.
Role in formula: fragrance
Original: LINALOOL
How we score
Our safety scores and ingredient breakdowns are based on regulatory and scientific sources. See Data sources & methodology and How Zerotox works for full details.
Product info
Product ID: 4268733
More from this brand: Dove Men Care products in Zerotox
Similar products: skincare in Zerotox database
Report / complain: You may report errors or complain about this product or its formulation to hello [at] zeroto.app . Published for transparency.