Health Concerns of the Ingredient:
Overall Hazard
Developmental &
reproductive toxicity
Other HIGH concerns: Contamination concerns;
Other LOW concerns: Data gaps, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
About PEG-25 CASTOR OIL: PEG-25 Castor Oil is a polyethylene glycol derivative of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Oil (q.v.)with an average of 25 moles of ethylene oxide.
Function(s): Surfactant - Emulsifying Agent
Synonym(s): POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (25) CASTOR OIL; POLYOXYETHYLENE (25) CASTOR OIL
Allergies/immunotoxicity
Concern |
Reference |
Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | |
Use restrictions
Concern |
Reference |
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
Concern |
Reference |
Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity | Harvell, J |
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 |
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 Food Additive Status |
Data gaps
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 product | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
49 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results -> | NLM PubMed |
Data Sources
CIR |
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) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006. |
Harvell, J., M. Bason and H. Maibach. Contact Urticaria and its Mechanisms. Food Chemistry and Toxicology 32(2): 103-112. 1994. (Table 2: Substances identified as capable of causing contact urticaria). |
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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