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Data: Fair

Ethanol

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

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

SYNONYMS

● ABSOLUTE ETHANOL
● ALCOHOL
● DISTILLED SPIRITS
● ETHANOL
● ETHANOL, UNDENATURED
● ETHYL ALCOHOL
● ETHYL HYDROXIDE
● UNDENATURED ETHANOL

This ingredient is not currently on EWG's Skin Deep Restricted or Unacceptable Lists.


Ethanol or ethyl alcohol is considered broadly toxic and linked to birth defects following excessive oral ingestion. Potential risks from ethanol in personal care products are significantly smaller than the health risks posed by the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

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

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

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foundation466 products
hand sanitizer262 products
facial moisturizer/treatment160 products
serums & essences107 products
lipstick102 products
mask98 products
mouthwash97 products
fragrance for women95 products
moisturizer79 products
conditioner79 products
brow liner65 products
hair treatment/serum65 products
nail polish60 products
facial cleanser59 products
eye liner58 products
shampoo51 products
toners/astringents50 products
fragrance for men47 products
around-eye cream42 products
hair-loss treatment39 products
exfoliant/scrub35 products
body wash/cleanser34 products
hair styling aide33 products
daily use with SPF29 products
antiperspirant/deodorant28 products
eye shadow25 products
recreational sunscreen25 products
mascara23 products
liquid hand soap23 products
hand cream22 products
body spray22 products
hair spray22 products
toothpaste21 products
sunless tanning21 products
bronzer/highlighter21 products
setting powder/spray19 products
styling gel/lotion16 products
bar soap15 products
anti-aging13 products
after shave13 products
makeup primer13 products
hair color and bleaching12 products
CC cream12 products
tooth whitening11 products
eyelash glue10 products
nail treatment9 products
concealer9 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)9 products
lip balm9 products
blush9 products
baby lotion7 products
bath oil/salts/soak7 products
lip gloss6 products
6 products
muscle/joint soreness5 products
styling mousse/foam5 products
body firming lotion5 products
polish remover5 products
after sun product5 products
body oil5 products
foot cleansing5 products
skin fading/lightener3 products
foot moisturizer3 products
shaving cream3 products
BB cream3 products
lip plumper3 products
beard care3 products
body cleansing wipes3 products
detangler2 products
other eye makeup2 products
bubble bath2 products
foot odor control2 products
tanning oil2 products
depilatory1 products
cuticle treatment1 products
baby soap1 products
diaper cream1 products
baby shampoo1 products
makeup remover1 products
facial powder1 products
damaged skin treatment1 products
eye makeup remover1 products
lip liner1 products
baby wipes1 products
other men's products1 products
nail glue1 products
exfoliant/scrub - large particle1 products

Enhanced skin absorption

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Penetration enhancerOpen scientific literature

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 sense organ toxicityScorecard.org Toxicity Information

Miscellaneous

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Occupational hazards related to handlingCPS&Q - Classification & Labelling

Ecotoxicology

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Multiple, additive exposure sources

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodFDA Food Additive Status

Persistence and bioaccumulation

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Data gaps

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CONCERN REFERENCE
334201 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed
  • Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
  • 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.
  • CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP.
  • FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006.
  • 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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