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Data: Fair

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Other Concerns


SYNONYMS

● 2-HYDROXYETHYL ETHER CELLULOSE
● CELLULOSE HYDROXYETHYLATE
● CELLULOSE, 2-HYDROXYETHYL ETHER
● CELLULOSE, 2HYDROXYETHYL ETHER
● H. E. CELLULOSE
● HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE

Restricted

Restricted: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation


Hydroxyethylcellulose is a modified cellulose polymer; used as a gelling and thickening agent.

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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conditioner268 products
mascara216 products
mask209 products
serums & essences143 products
hair treatment/serum127 products
facial moisturizer/treatment80 products
hair styling aide70 products
shaving cream64 products
moisturizer63 products
foundation49 products
shampoo43 products
facial cleanser39 products
styling gel/lotion37 products
brow liner34 products
shaving cream (men's)33 products
around-eye cream29 products
body wash/cleanser26 products
hair color and bleaching24 products
liquid hand soap24 products
eye liner21 products
antiperspirant/deodorant20 products
exfoliant/scrub19 products
daily use with SPF14 products
recreational sunscreen13 products
makeup primer12 products
anti-aging11 products
toners/astringents11 products
hand cream10 products
concealer10 products
hair-loss treatment9 products
body firming lotion7 products
beard cleanser7 products
sunless tanning6 products
other eye makeup5 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)5 products
after sun product5 products
foot odor control5 products
BB cream5 products
mouthwash4 products
detangler4 products
after shave4 products
beard care4 products
foot cleansing4 products
eye makeup remover3 products
hand sanitizer3 products
baby lotion3 products
3 products
makeup remover2 products
bubble bath2 products
cuticle treatment2 products
foot moisturizer2 products
body oil2 products
pore strips2 products
baby toothpaste1 products
tooth whitening1 products
toothpaste1 products
nail treatment1 products
lip plumper1 products
styling mousse/foam1 products
bronzer/highlighter1 products
blush1 products
eyelash glue1 products
baby sunscreen1 products
lipstick1 products
lip balm1 products
muscle/joint soreness1 products
diaper cream1 products
glitter1 products
setting powder/spray1 products
baby wipes1 products
lip gloss1 products
body spray1 products

Data gaps

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in productCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
2627 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed

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

Ecotoxicology

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment 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
Classified as a low human health priorityEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
  • 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.
  • EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.

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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