Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters

Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters is an emollient and emulsifier that is water dispersible despite being oil derived.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it as part of a 130-ingredient group of "PEGylated Oils" and concluded the whole group, including this one, is safe as used in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating.

Industry survey data shows use concentrations from about 0.05% up to 97%, with leave-on products typically sitting closer to 1-12%.

This exact ingredient doesn't have documented case reports but closely related PEG-7 fatty acid esters do; there's a published case of contact dermatitis from PEG-7 hydrogenated castor oil in a sunscreen, and another from PEG-7 monooleate.

A true allergy is possible but appears uncommon. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

This ingredient shows up on a lot of "pore-clogging" lists but there's no real evidence behind that. It doesn't even have a comedogenic rating from an actual study; the numbers you'll find online come from blogs citing other blogs.

Ratings for other ingredients mostly come from a 1980s rabbit ear test. This test doesn't translate well to human skin or to real products because the ingredient sits at a much lower percentage. Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin.

The Malassezia yeast breaks down fatty acid esters in the C11-24 range. Since this ingredient is an ester of olive oil's fatty acids (mostly C18), it may not be fungal acne safe.