Other Concerns
Use restrictions (high), Neurotoxicity (high), Endocrine disruption (low), Persistence and bioaccumulation (high), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (high), Ecotoxicology (low), and Occupational hazards (high)SYNONYMS
Unacceptable
Unacceptable: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient
Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative used in some vaccines and cosmetics. According to FDA, 'Mercury compounds are readily absorbed through the skin on topical application and tend to accumulate in the body. They may cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, or neurotoxic manifestations.' Mercury is considered particularly toxic to the developing brain during pregnancy, infancy and childhood. FDA has banned the use of mercury compounds in all cosmetics except those used around the eyes, where levels are limited to 65 parts per million (ppm). In 2007 the use of mercury in all cosmetics was banned in Minnesota.
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
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LOWCancer
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MODERATEAllergies & Immunotoxicity
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MODERATEDevelopmental and Reproductive Toxicity
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HIGHUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Known human respiratory toxicant | EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants |
Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Classified as toxic or harmful | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Limited evidence of kidney toxicity | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
reproductive - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife and humans | EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife and humans | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | EPA PBTs - Waste Minimization Program (RCRA) |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | Great Lakes BTS (Binational Toxics Strategy) PBTs |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | Canada PBTs - Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET) |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Neurotoxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Known human nervous system toxicant | Open scientific literature |
Limited evidence of any toxicity | Open scientific literature |
nervous system - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Use restrictions
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Violation of government restrictions - Banned or found unsafe for use in cosmetics | Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients |
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Restricted for use in cosmetics by the FDA (US) | U.S. - Ingredients Prohibited and Restricted in Cosmetics by FDA Regulations |
Occupational hazards
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Strong evidence of occupational hazards | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Possible human developmental toxicant | California EPA Proposition 65 |
Limited evidence of any toxicity | Open scientific literature |
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Endocrine disruption
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited evidence of endocrine disruption | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
endocrine - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | Our Stolen Future Endocrine Disruptors |
endocrine - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | Illinois EPA Chemicals Associated with Endocrine System |
Cancer
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Mutagen - limited evidence | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Limited or incomplete evidence of cancer according to safety/hazard data – government assessment cannot classify as human carcinogen due to data gaps | Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens |
Limited or incomplete evidence of cancer according to safety/hazard data – government assessment cannot classify as human carcinogen due to data gaps | EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) |
Ecotoxicology
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Wildlife and environmental toxicity | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Wildlife and environmental toxicity | EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants |
Suspected to be an environmental toxin and be persistent or bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Wildlife and environmental toxicity | European Union - Water Framework Directive |
Wildlife and environmental toxicity | Illinois EPA Chemicals Associated with Endocrine System |
Suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Insufficient data to determine safety | EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) |
307891 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Miscellaneous
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Occupational hazards related to handling | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2005. Office of Air. The 112(b)1 Hazardous Air Pollutants List (as modified). Last modified: 12 Dec 2005.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1998. Resource Conservatin and Recovery Act (RCRA) Waste Minimization Program - priority chemicals for elimination or reduction.
- Great Lakes BTS (Binational Toxics Strategy). 1997. Canada-United States Strategy for the Virtual Elimination of Persistent Toxic Substances in the Great Lakes. Appendix I - Level 1 and Level 2 substances.
- EC (Environment Canada). 1994. Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET). ARET substance list of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals.
- Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
- Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), 2006. Ingredients Prohibited and Restricted by FDA Regulations. FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Cosmetics and Colors. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-210.html.
- California EPA (California Environmental Protection Agency). 9/2008. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Chemicals known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
- Colborn T, D Dumanoski, JP Myers. 2006. Widespread Pollutants with Endocrine-disrupting Effects. Updated from original listing in "Our Stolen Future" (1996).
- Illinois EPA (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency). 2000. Preliminary list of chemicals associated with endocrine system effects in animals and humans (*) or in vitro (+). In EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) 2000. Handbook for Non-Cancer Health Effects Valuation, Appendix C.
- 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).
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2008. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Evidence for human carcinogenicity based on 1986-2005 guidelines.
- EU (European Union). 2000. Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC ) - integrated river basin management for Europe. List of priority substances.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
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 SCORESHazard 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.
Data availability
The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.