Is Phenoxyethanol safe? Why do you use it?

We use phenoxyethanol in a very low concentration (less than 1%) as a preservative because there is not currently a natural alternative available on the market. We believe phenoxyethanol is the best current alternative since other synthetic preservative options contain parabens and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Most of the studies that have found this ingredient to only be harmful are at very high concentrations. In reality, low levels of this ingredient have been shown to be safe, and it's approved for use at a level of up to 1%. 

Other organizations that have deemed the use of phenoxyethanol safe to use include:

European Union Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS): under 1.0% concentration
Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW): under 1.0% concentration
Natural Products Association (NPA): under 5.0% concentration
Made Safe: under 1.0% concentration
Environmental Working Group (EWG): score 4/10
GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals: score 2/4 (use, but search for safer chemicals)