Phenoxyethanol has replaced many preservatives which were proven to cause allergic reactions like methylisothiazole, MI, in many topicals. I am also allergic MI and to phenoxyethanol. As you these chemicals are in many topicals to extend shelf life. I've never gotten any feedback from anyone who also uses the Estring and you mentioned you still have some vaginal discomfort.
I can't remember if I previously mentioned in this discussion that restoring my vaginal help was two fold, not only the Estring which restored my vaginal moisture but months earlier I read The Yeast Connection Handbook, by William Crooke, Md. His simple short book is written for the layperson, contains hand drawn diagrams showing the relationship between the yeast residing in all our intestines and how their hunger for sugar controls our brains, causing us cravings, and how in turn feeding yeast this sugar increases the colony size which in turn increases the craving more. If you give up procedess sugar you will acutally go through detox. I gave up alcohol several years earlier and I only craved it for 3 weeks. Now years later I have no interest at all in alcohol. Giving up sugar is much harder. The waste from yeast transfers though our intestinal linings (more as our linings thin with age). This waste then enters our blood stream which in turn raises up our histamine armies which battle this waste trying to protect us and raise our inflamation which can affect various parts of our bodies and cause multiple diseases. Keep in mind I didn't test positive for yeast or have the classic yeast vaginal discharge. I followed Crook's detox diet for 3 months rather than the 2 it asked for and now several years later no longer follow the maintanence diet, other than I am off processed sugar for life. I eat multiple servings of fruit and the all non sugary carbs and gluten I want. My vagina is healed again. It took at least 2 years for my mouth not to water just thinking or viewing or smelling foods with processed sugar. Now 3 years later I have little interest and only one serving of dessert about 3 times a year on holidays. It's a slow and challenging process, but to be free of the burning and pain gave me motivation.
It's hard going through this detox not knowing if it will help. The yeast doesn't want to die of starvation. You won't because you are still eating meat, poultry, fish and non starchy veggies. Basically a Keto type diet for several months. You will loose weight, but will gain back some once you go back on non sugary carbs and fruit.