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Data: Good

Alumina

  • This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns.

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Enhanced skin absorption, Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate), and Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)

SYNONYMS

● ACTIVATED ALUMINA
● ALUMINA
● ALUMINA, ACTIVATED
● ALUMINA, CALCINED
● ALUMINA, TABULAR
● ALUMINIUM OXIDE
● ALUMINUM OXIDE
● ALUMINUM OXIDE (AL2O3)
● ALUMINUM OXIDE; ALUMINUM OXIDE; DELTA ALUMINA; THETA ALUMINA
● ALUMINUM SESQUIOXIDE
● ALUMINUM TRIOXIDE
● CALCINED ALUMINA
● TABULAR ALUMINA

Restricted - Unaccpetable

The score of this ingredient can vary from Restricted to Unacceptable based on the method of product consumption. For instance, when used in aerosol-based products, this ingredient may pose a risk to respiratory health, leading to a higher score

Click here for more information about ingredient scores


Alumina is the name used for inorganic compound aluminium oxide.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • HIGH
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • LOW
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • LOW
    Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

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lipstick413 products
nail polish329 products
foundation307 products
concealer225 products
lip gloss208 products
eye shadow123 products
eye liner114 products
bronzer/highlighter103 products
blush96 products
recreational sunscreen95 products
daily use with SPF76 products
lip balm46 products
facial powder31 products
26 products
BB cream24 products
lip liner24 products
baby sunscreen19 products
makeup primer14 products
exfoliant/scrub13 products
lip plumper12 products
brow liner10 products
facial moisturizer/treatment8 products
around-eye cream7 products
CC cream7 products
body oil6 products
body powder5 products
hair color and bleaching5 products
facial cleanser5 products
mask4 products
hair styling aide4 products
bath oil/salts/soak3 products
hair treatment/serum3 products
bar soap3 products
setting powder/spray3 products
moisturizer3 products
skin fading/lightener2 products
lip balm with SPF2 products
toothpaste2 products
mascara1 products
tanning oil1 products
fragrance for women1 products
serums & essences1 products
anti-aging1 products
body wash/cleanser1 products
antiperspirant/deodorant1 products
makeup remover1 products
styling gel/lotion1 products
hair spray1 products

Enhanced skin absorption

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Nano-scale ingredients with potential to absorb into the skinOpen scientific literature
Suspected nano-scale ingredients with potential to absorb into the skinNanomaterial Database

Allergies/immunotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Known human any toxicant or allergenOpen scientific literature
Human any toxicant or allergen - strong evidenceOpen scientific literature

Persistence and bioaccumulation

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Persistent or bioaccumulative and moderate to high toxicity concern in humansEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as expected to be toxic or harmfulEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Classified as medium human health priorityEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Limited evidence of any toxicityScorecard.org Toxicity Information
One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient)EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs

Cancer

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Cancer - limited evidenceOpen scientific literature
One or more animal studies show tumor formation at high dosesOpen scientific literature
Not likely to be carcinogenic in humansOpen scientific literature

Ecotoxicology

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Informational

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - anyCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Data gaps

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CONCERN REFERENCE
26589 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed
  • Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
  • NanoWerk. 2007. Nanomaterial Database. Available online: http://www.nanowerk.com/phpscripts/n_dbsearch.php
  • EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
  • ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
  • EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule.
  • CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
  • NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.

Understanding scores

Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.

Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.

HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES

Hazard score

The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG VERIFIED® mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.

Score legend

Data availability

The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.

NONE LIMITED FAIR GOOD ROBUST
Low Availability
Moderate Availability
High Availability

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