What is DPG?

Our hand-dipped incense sticks and cones are made with no DPG. We don't use DPG because it is a chemical that, in my opinion, is not needed. So, what exactly is DPG?

DPG is di-propylene glycol. It is used as a cutting oil; for diluting fragrances. It is widely used in the cosmetic industry.

Most commercial makers of hand-dipped incense use DPG because it's a way to stretch their fragrance oils, therefore increasing their profit margin. When you burn their sticks, you are burning mostly DPG and NOT the fragrance.

Now, in my research I have read that while DPG is a colorless, odorless liquid, it is practically non-toxic. What the heck does that mean? Practically? That's not good enough. I've read that it is an ingredient of industrial soaps, agricultural insecticidal formulations, defoamers, cosmetics and anti-freeze. What? The same chemical that some companies use in cosmetics is also used in anti-freeze, pesticides and insecticides?

While there are two grades of DPG, fragrance grade and industrial grade, with almost identical properties, it's still DPG....is it not? I've also learned that DPG is biodegraded in water and expected to be biodegraded in soil. Expected to be? Whether it is biodegradable or not, in water and/or soil.....is this something I want to use? Is this something that I appreciate being in the products I purchase for my family's use? I don't think so.

According to www.ScoreCard.org, a pollution information site, DPG is used in consumer products, building materials or furnishings that contribute to air pollution. They report that it is less hazardous than most chemicals in three ranking systems. Ok, forget the ranking systems...what do they mean by less hazardous?? This indicates that it's hazardous to some extent, doesn't it? They also report that 3 out of the 8 basic tests to identify chemical hazards haven't even been done on DPG or aren't publicly available. So does that mean they're hiding something from the public or they just haven't done the tests?

So, in light of this information I'd prefer not to use it. This means our incense will produce smoke that's a bit darker than what you're use to, but at least you won't be breathing in that nasty chemical!