![]() ![]() Grapefruit seed extract manufacturers responded to this finding by claiming that diphenol hydroxybenzene – which as I mentioned is not listed in any of the databases I searched – is just really easy to confuse for benzethonium chloride. “Some samples were shown to contain up to 22% benzalkonium chloride by weight, despite the known allergenicity and toxicity of the compound at higher doses.” ( source) ( source) It is commonly used in drain cleaner, disinfectants and other cleaning products. ( source) The Environmental Working Group lists benzalkonium chloride as a known immune system toxin and respiratory toxin. Takeoka, researchers found that the primary active ingredient in commercial preparations of grapefruit seed extract was benzethonium chloride or benzalkonium chloride, both synthetic compounds. Additional studies confirmed these results. Now that we’ve tidied up that bit of business let’s move on! ![]() So What’s Really In Grapefruit Seed Extract?įirst, let me say that though it sounds similar, grapefruit seed extract is very different than grapefruit essential oil or grapeseed oil. So ‘diphenol hydroxybenzene’ just loosely says that we have some benzene rings with hydroxy groups stuck on them somewhere!” ( source)Īccording to this article, it’s likely that diphenol hydroxybenzene is an abbreviated name for another, unspecified chemical. By the time I checked OSHA I was starting to get suspicious. Why isn’t there any information on this chemical?Īccording to Steve Humphries, PhD, “people with chemistry training will recognise that the description ‘diphenol hydroxybenzene’ is not the correct way to name a chemical compound. ‘Hydroxybenzene’ is a benzene ring with a hydroxy group attached, ‘phenol’ is also a benzene ring with a hydroxy group attached. Neither had ChemSpider, which is the official database of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Still, I wanted to know whether diphenol hydroxybenzene is considered a natural compound or synthetic chemical. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database had never heard of it. I eat sodium chloride on my eggs almost every morning and I’m still here. Now, just because a compound sounds scary doesn’t mean it is. Confusing LabelsĪccording to grapefruit seed extract manufacturers, the main constituent of their extract is diphenol hydroxybenzene. Instead, they contend that the antimicrobial nature of GSE is due to chemical residues left behind after processing. So why will you not find GSE in my ebook, DIY Organic Beauty Recipes, or any recipe on this site? Because according to the findings of some experts, it doesn’t contain naturally antimicrobial properties. Yep, many of these claims can be backed up with studies, such as this one which found that it performs as well as 30 antibiotics and 18 fungicides. Many of them are actually supported by research. (Except, of course, that last “disease” because I, er, made it up.) ![]() I’m talking about grapefruit seed extract, of course. Now, since this is a post about why I don’t use it you might expect me to say the claims made about grapefruit seed extract (GSE) are false. This cosmetic preservative is touted as a natural treatment for eczema, acne, cold sores, athlete’s foot, candida/thrush, sore throats, Group B Strep (GBS), stomach bugs, parasites, food poisoning, wart, gingivitis and atypical boogie woogie. So you have food poisoning, an earache, and a bottle of homemade lotion to preserve? There’s an extract for that. ![]()
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