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Data: Limited

Imidazolidinyl Urea (Formaldehyde Releaser)

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

Use restrictions (low) and Contamination concerns (high)

SYNONYMS

● IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA
● IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER)
● N,N"-METHYLENEBIS[N'-[1-(HYDROXYMETHYL)-2,5-DIOXO-4-IMIDAZOLIDINYL]UREA]
● N,N''-METHYLENEBIS[N'-[3-(HYDROXYMETHYL)-2,5-DIOXOIMIDAZOLIDIN-4-YL]UREA]
● UREA, N,N METHYLENEBIS[N [3(HYDROXYMETHYL)2,5DIOXO4IMIDAZOLIDINYL]
● UREA, N,N"-METHYLENEBIS[N'-[1-(HYDROXYMETHYL)-2,5-DIOXO-4-IMIDAZOLIDINYL]-

Unacceptable

Unacceptable: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient


Imidazolidinyl urea is an antimicrobial preservative that works by forming formaldehyde in cosmetic products. People exposed to such formaldehyde-releasing ingredients may develop a formaldehyde allergy or an allergy to the ingredient itself. In the U.S. approximately 20% of cosmetics and personal care products contain a formaldehyde-releaser and the frequency of contact allergy to these ingredients is much higher among Americans compared to studies in Europe.

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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facial moisturizer/treatment19 products
hair color and bleaching19 products
conditioner17 products
moisturizer17 products
body wash/cleanser13 products
hair treatment/serum11 products
styling gel/lotion7 products
shampoo6 products
serums & essences6 products
hand cream4 products
after sun product4 products
mascara4 products
hair styling aide4 products
around-eye cream3 products
mask3 products
eye liner3 products
styling mousse/foam3 products
antiperspirant/deodorant3 products
eye shadow3 products
foundation2 products
facial cleanser2 products
hair spray2 products
body oil2 products
bar soap1 products
toners/astringents1 products
brow liner1 products
concealer1 products
detangler1 products
anti-aging1 products
facial cleansing wipes1 products
hair perm1 products
eye makeup remover1 products
body firming lotion1 products
foot odor control1 products
nail treatment1 products

Contamination concerns

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Chemical
FORMALDEHYDE

Allergies/immunotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Known human any toxicant or allergenOpen scientific literature
Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidenceCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
Human any toxicant or allergen - strong evidenceOpen scientific literature
Limited evidence of any toxicity or allergiesOpen scientific literature
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergiesNational Library of Medicine HazMap

Cancer

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Cancer - limited evidenceOpen scientific literature

Use restrictions

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - anyOpen scientific literature

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
18 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

Persistence and bioaccumulation

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be persistentEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
  • Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
  • 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). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
  • 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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