The Silicone & PEG Myth: Why my Bee Happy Body Lotion $15 Gets Attacked While Upper Brand Gets a Pass

Spoiler: The science doesn't care about price tags.

Somewhere along the way, silicones and PEGs became dirty words. Scroll through any "clean beauty" blog and you'll find dimethicone treated like it crawled out of a chemical waste plant. PEGs? Apparently they're contaminated nightmares that have no business touching your precious skin.

And yet.

Open a jar of La Mer's $380 Crème de la Mer and you'll find cyclopentasiloxane, phenyl trimethicone, and dimethicone staring right back at you. Flip over La Mer's The Concentrate ($420) and there's dimethicone, polysilicone-11, and Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer. Their Regenerating Serum? Loaded with PEG-8 Dimethicone and PEG-10 Dimethicone.

Shiseido, another luxury heavyweight, openly defends silicone use on their website: "We use high-quality silicones... scientific evidence does not suggest that products containing silicones have a significant negative impact on skin."

So which is it? Are these ingredients dangerous, or is this just selective outrage?

What the Science Actually Says

On Silicones (Dimethicone)

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel - the independent body that evaluates cosmetic ingredients - has reviewed dimethicone extensively. Their conclusion? Safe as used in cosmetic formulations.

Not "probably safe." Not "safe with caveats." Just safe.

Here's what research published in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery (2023) found about dimethicone:

• Hypoallergenic - minimal risk of allergic reactions

• Non-comedogenic - doesn't clog pores

• Inert - doesn't penetrate the skin in any meaningful way

• Protective - creates a breathable barrier while remaining permeable to water vapor

The dermatology world actually likes this stuff. Dimethicone shows up in scar treatment gels, in moisturizers specifically formulated for acne-prone skin, and in products designed for damaged barrier repair.

Why? Because it does its job without causing problems.

On PEGs (Polyethylene Glycols)

The fear around PEGs usually centers on potential contamination with 1,4-dioxane during manufacturing. It's a legitimate concern - if manufacturers aren't doing their jobs properly.

But here's what the actual safety data shows:

According to research published in Toxicology and reviewed by the CIR Expert Panel:

• PEGs and their derivatives produce little or no ocular or dermal irritation

• They have extremely low acute and chronic toxicities

• They do not readily penetrate intact skin

• After decades of widespread use, only a handful of sensitization cases have been reported - mostly in people with already damaged or inflamed skin

The CIR Expert Panel concluded that PEGs, including PEG hydrogenated castor oils, are safe for use in cosmetics up to 100% concentration.

Let that sink in. Up to 100%.

Why Silicones and PEGs Actually Matter in Formulation

Here's what "clean beauty" marketing never tells you: good formulations are chemistry, not wishful thinking.

Stability

Heavy formulas - the kind that deliver actives effectively - need stability. Silicones provide structural integrity without the greasiness of petroleum or the inconsistency of some plant oils. PEGs function as emulsifiers and stabilizers, keeping your water and oil phases from separating into an unusable mess.

Without these ingredients, your "clean" cream might look great on day one and be a separated, oxidized disaster by week three.

Sensory Profile

That silky, smooth feeling when you apply a well-formulated product? That's often dimethicone at work. It fills in fine lines, creates a protective film without tackiness, and allows products to spread evenly.

Try formulating a body cream without silicones that doesn't feel like you've smeared cooking oil on your arms. It's possible, but it's significantly harder.

Active Delivery

Silicones can actually help actives work better by creating an occlusive layer that prevents evaporation while remaining breathable. This is why high-end serums use dimethicone crosspolymers - they enhance performance.

The Double Standard Problem

Here's what infuriates me about the "clean beauty" narrative.

La Mer uses dimethicone as a primary ingredient (second on the INCI list in some products) and nobody blinks. Shiseido publicly defends their silicone use and retains their luxury status.

And then there's Le Labo.

Flip over their $42 Hinoki Shower Gel and check the third ingredient: PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil. That's not buried at the bottom of the list - it's a primary functional ingredient. Why? Because PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is a solubilizer. It's how they get that heavy fragrance load to mix into a water-based formula without separating.

It's basic cosmetic chemistry. And it works.

The CIR Expert Panel concluded that PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100%. Le Labo knows this. Their chemists know this. That's why they use it.

But somehow, when an $80 Le Labo body lotion uses PEGs, it's "artisanal luxury." When your local indie brand ( Bee Happy )does the same thing for $15, it's "full of chemicals."

But let an affordable skincare brand use the exact same ingredients, and suddenly it's evidence that budget products are "cutting corners with synthetic fillers."

This isn't science.

The same dimethicone 350 cSt that goes into a $400 cream goes into a $15 moisturizer. The molecule doesn't know what price tag it's sitting under.

And here's the thing: Whole Foods - the same Whole Foods whose "Premium Natural Body Care" standards are treated like the gold standard of clean beauty - allows dimethicone in their approved body care products. They ban parabens, they ban certain sulfates, but dimethicone made the cut.

Why? Because when you actually look at the research instead of the marketing, it's a functional ingredient with an excellent safety profile.

The Yuka Problem , Why my Bee Happy Body Lotion $15 Gets Attacked

Apps like Yuka have trained consumers to scan barcodes and trust a color-coded score over decades of safety research.

Scan that Le Labo shower gel - watch PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil get flagged. Scan La Mer - same red marks for the same silicones. But somehow, the $380 jar still ends up in the shopping bag while Bee Happy Body Lotion $15 gets left on the shelf.

Yuka doesn't distinguish between:

• Actual hazard vs. theoretical concern - a flagged ingredient isn't automatically dangerous

• Concentration levels - the dose makes the poison

• Context of use - rinse-off products behave differently than leave-on

• Manufacturer quality - a reputable lab purifies their PEGs; a sketchy one might not

The app gives you a number. The number feels objective. But the algorithm behind it is built on the same flawed "clean beauty" assumptions that demonize functional ingredients while ignoring the science.

A red flag isn't a research paper. Stop letting an app override the CIR Expert Panel.

The Real Questions You Should Be Asking

Instead of "is this product silicone-free?" try asking:

1. Is the formula stable? Will it work as intended for its entire shelf life?

2. Does it deliver? Are the actives actually reaching your skin?

3. Is it appropriate for my skin type? Some people prefer silicone-free products for personal reasons - and that's valid. But it's not a safety issue.

4. Is the manufacturer reputable? This matters far more than whether a product contains PEGs.

   A good manufacturer ensures purity. A bad one can contaminate anything.

   
   

The Bottom Line

Silicones and PEGs aren't villains. They're functional ingredients with decades of safety data, used in everything from medical devices to the most expensive skincare on the planet.

The "clean beauty" movement has done some good things - increased transparency, pushed back against genuinely harmful ingredients, given consumers more choices. But when it demonizes safe, effective ingredients while luxury brands get a free pass for using those exact same components, it's not about safety anymore.

It's about marketing and if compony has been trust. Small brand like Bee Happy should just fight with the system.

References

• Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR). Safety Assessment of Dimethicone, Methicone, and Substituted-Methicone Polymers. cir-safety.org

• Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR). Safety Assessment of PEG Castor Oils and PEG Hydrogenated Castor Oils. cosmeticsinfo.org

• Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery (2023). Silicone in Dermatology: An Update. PMC10298615

• Fruijtier-Pölloth, C. (2005). Safety assessment on polyethylene glycols (PEGs) and their derivatives as used in cosmetic products. Toxicology, 214(1-2), 1-38.

• Kim, N., et al. (2015). Safety Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Compounds for Cosmetic Use. Toxicological Research, 31(2), 105-136. PMC4505343

• Shiseido. List of Ingredient Information. shiseido.com

• La Mer product ingredient lists via INCIDecoder.com

• Le Labo product ingredient lists via INCIDecoder.com and lelabofragrances.com