Health Concerns of the Ingredient:
Overall Hazard
Developmental &
reproductive toxicity
Allergies & immunotoxicity
About SALICYLIC ACID: Salicylic acid is a naturally occuring and synthetically produced beta hydroxy acid used in skin treatment products.
Possible impurity in: see all ingredients | products
Function(s): Antiacne Agent; Antidandruff Agent; Corn/Callus/Wart Remover; Denaturant; Exfoliant;Fragrance Ingredient; Hair Conditioning Agent; Skin-Conditioning Agent - Miscellaneous; KERATOLYTIC; MASKING; PRESERVATIVE; SKIN CONDITIONING
Synoym(s): 2-HYDROXY- BENZOIC ACID; 2-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; BENZOIC ACID, 2-HYDROXY-; BENZOIC ACID, 2HYDROXY; O-CARBOXYPHENOL; O-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; PHENOL-2-CARBOXYLIC ACID; 2-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; ACIDO O-IDROSSIBENZOICO (ITALIAN) ; ACIDO SALICILICO (ITALIAN) ; BENZOIC ACID, 2-HYDROXY-
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 |
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - | CosIng |
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Japan - restricted for use in cosmetics (concentration limit) | Japan's Standards for Cosmetics |
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Used in food or as an additive with limited or no toxicity information available | FDA Everything Added to Food |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Limited evidence of skin irritation | OPINION OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON COSMETIC PRODUCTS AND NON-FOOD PRODUCTS INTENDED FOR CONSUMERS CONCERNING SALICYLIC ACID adopted by the SCCNFP during the 20th plenary meeting of 4 June 2002 |
Enhanced skin absorption
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Penetration enhancer | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Cancer
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| Not likely to be carcinogenic in humans | National Toxicology Program (NTP) |
Data gaps
| Concern |
Reference |
|---|
| 24,333 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results -> | NLM PubMed |
Data Sources
| AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation. |
| CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| European Commission. 2013. Cosing, the European Commission database with information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. Accessed on March 1, 2013 at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/ . |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. 2006. Standards for Cosmetics. Evaluation and Licensing Division. Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau. |
| NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov. |
| National Toxicology Program (NTP). 2007. Technical Report on the Photocarcinogenesis of Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid (CAS NOS. 79-14-1 and 69-72-7) in SKH-1 Mice. NTP TR 524. September 2007. http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/files/524_web1.pdf |
| OPINION OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON COSMETIC PRODUCTS AND NON-FOOD PRODUCTS INTENDED FOR CONSUMERS CONCERNING SALICYLIC ACID adopted by the SCCNFP during the 20th plenary meeting of 4 June 2002. |
Products Containing the Ingredient
About the 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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