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Data: Fair

Fd&C Yellow No. 6 (Ci 15985)

  • This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products intended for use around the eyes due to increased risk of absorption.
  • Products with the EWG VERIFIED mark have met the program’s impurity and use restrictions based on EWG's review of the company's data.

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Use restrictions (high), Neurotoxicity (low), Endocrine disruption (low), and Contamination concerns (high)

SYNONYMS

● 2-NAPHTHALENESULFONIC ACID, 6-HYDROXY-5-[(4-SULFOPHENYL)AZO]-, DISODIUM SALT
● 2NAPHTHALENESULFONIC ACID, 6HYDROXY5[(4SULFOPHENYL)AZO], DISODIUM SALT
● 6-HYDROXY-5-[(4-SULFOPHENYL)AZO]- DISODIUM SALT 2-NAPHTHALENESULFONIC ACID
● 6-HYDROXY-5-[(4-SULFOPHENYL)AZO]-2-NAPHTHALENESULFONIC ACID, DISODIUM SALT
● CI 15985
● D&C YELLOW 6
● DISODIUM 6-HYDROXY-5-[(4-SULPHONATOPHENYL)AZO]NAPHTHALENE-2-SULPHONATE
● DISODIUM SALT 2-NAPHTHALENESULFONIC ACID, 6-HYDROXY-5-[(4-SULFOPHENYL)AZO]-
● DISODIUM SALT 6-HYDROXY-5-[(4-SULFOPHENYL)AZO]-2-NAPHTHALENESULFONIC ACID
● DISODIUM SALT FOOD YELLOW 3
● FD&C YELLOW 6
● FD&C YELLOW NO. 6
● FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 (CI 15985)
● FOOD YELLOW 3, DISODIUM SALT
● SUNSET YELLOW FCF
● YELLOW 6

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


FD&C Yellow 6 is a synthetic dye produced from petroleum; this dye is FDA-approved for use in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

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

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

Expand content Collapse content
lipstick79 products
eye liner58 products
conditioner49 products
shampoo45 products
blush44 products
body wash/cleanser42 products
bar soap37 products
nail polish37 products
sunless tanning29 products
moisturizer27 products
lip balm24 products
liquid hand soap24 products
bronzer/highlighter24 products
fragrance for women23 products
exfoliant/scrub22 products
lip gloss20 products
lip balm with SPF19 products
hair treatment/serum19 products
hair styling aide17 products
mask15 products
foundation15 products
styling gel/lotion14 products
facial moisturizer/treatment14 products
facial cleanser11 products
mouthwash11 products
body oil10 products
fragrance for men10 products
serums & essences9 products
hair color and bleaching9 products
bath oil/salts/soak9 products
body spray8 products
hand cream6 products
baby shampoo6 products
concealer6 products
eye shadow6 products
lip liner5 products
makeup primer4 products
glitter4 products
daily use with SPF4 products
recreational sunscreen3 products
3 products
toners/astringents3 products
facial powder3 products
toothpaste3 products
around-eye cream3 products
after shave3 products
setting powder/spray3 products
hand sanitizer2 products
bubble bath2 products
after sun product2 products
anti-aging2 products
baby soap2 products
polish remover1 products
nail glue1 products
shaving cream1 products
cuticle treatment1 products
detangler1 products
styling mousse/foam1 products
tanning oil1 products
foot moisturizer1 products
hair spray1 products

Contamination concerns

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Use restrictions

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Violation of government restrictions - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Color additive not approved by FDA for cosmetics used around eyesFDA Color Additive Status

Allergies/immunotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Human any toxicant or allergen - moderate evidenceOpen scientific literature
One or more human case studies show possible any or allergenic effectsOpen scientific literature

Neurotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
One or more human case studies show possible any effectsOpen scientific literature

Developmental/reproductive toxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as possibly toxic to reproduction or developmentOpen scientific literature
One or more animal studies show any effects at high dosesOpen scientific literature

Endocrine disruption

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CONCERN REFERENCE
One or more studies show weak endocrine disruptionOpen scientific literature
Associated with endocrine disruptionOpen scientific literature

Cancer

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Mutagen - limited evidenceOpen scientific literature
Not likely to be carcinogenic in humansOpen scientific literature
Limited or incomplete evidence of cancer according to safety/hazard data – government assessment cannot classify as human carcinogen due to data gapsInt'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens

Data gaps

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CONCERN REFERENCE
349 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed

Ecotoxicology

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not 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 - Color Additives - Batch Certified by the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationCTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Color additive approved by FDA for use in cosmeticsFDA Color Additive Status

Persistence and bioaccumulation

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be persistentEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmfulEnvironment 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 Everything Added to Food
  • FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Color Additive Status List. September 2006.
  • Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
  • IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99 (a total of 935 agents, mixtures and exposures).
  • NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
  • EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
  • CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association). 2006. International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, 11th Edition. Color Additive Information. Washington, DC.
  • FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

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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