Health Concerns of the Ingredient:
Overall Hazard
Developmental &
reproductive toxicity
Allergies & immunotoxicity
About MALIC ACID: Malic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid; present in many sour or acidic food and formed during metabolism in plants and animals.
This ingredient may be derived from animals. From PETA's Caring Consumer: Any one of several acids used as an exfoliant and in anti-wrinkle products. Lactic acid may be animal-derived (see Lactic Acid). Alternatives: glycolic acid, citric acid, and salicylic acid are plant- ... read more
This ingredient may be derived from animals. From PETA's Caring Consumer: Any one of several acids used as an exfoliant and in anti-wrinkle products. Lactic acid may be animal-derived (see Lactic Acid). Alternatives: glycolic acid, citric acid, and salicylic acid are plant- or fruit-derived.
Function(s): Fragrance Ingredient; pH Adjuster; BUFFERING
Synonym(s): 2-HYDROXYETHANE-1,2-DICARBOXYLIC ACID; BUTANEDIOIC ACID, HYDROXY; BUTANEDIOIC ACID, HYDROXY-; DEOXYTETRARIC ACID; DL-MALIC ACID; HYDROXY- BUTANEDIOIC ACID; HYDROXYBUTANEDIOIC ACID; HYDROXYSUCCINNIC ACID; L-MALIC ACID; ALPHA-HYDROXYSUCCINIC ACID; BUTANEDIOIC ACID, HYDROXY- (9CI)
Use restrictions
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics | Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients |
| Recommended restricted in cosmetics - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Safe for use as a pH adjuster, insufficient data to support safety of other uses, according to industry safety panel | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Human irritant - strong evidence (only for products for use around the eyes, on the skin, or may be aerosolized (airborne)) | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Data gaps
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| 2,275 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results -> | NLM PubMed |
Ecotoxicology
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Classified as a low human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Not suspected to be persistent | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data Sources
| CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| 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. |
| Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007. |
| IFRA (International Fragrance Assocication). 2010. IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List based on 2008 Use Survey. Accessed online 01/04/2010: http://www.ifraorg.org/Home/News/Latest-News/page.aspx/66?xf_itemId=43&xf_selectionDatapartId=25 |
| NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov. |
Products Containing the Ingredient
About the Skin Deep® ratings
EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any.
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Beyond providing Skin Deep® as an educational tool for consumers, EWG offers its EWG VERIFIED™ mark as a quick and easily identifiable way of conveying personal care products that meet EWG's strict health criteria. Before a company can use EWG VERIFIEDTM on such products, the company must show that it fully discloses the products' ingredients on their labels or packaging, they do not contain EWG ingredients of concern, and are made with good manufacturing practices, among other criteria. Note that EWG receives licensing fees from all EWG VERIFIED member companies that help to support the important work we do.
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