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HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Limited

Caramel Color

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Other Concerns

Contamination concerns (high)

SYNONYMS

● RT 80
● P 255
● DS 400
● C.I. NATURAL BROWN 10
● CARAMEL COLOR DYE
● BC 420 (COLOR)
● AP 680
● NATURAL BROWN 10
● CARAMEL
● CARAMEL COLOR

Restricted

Restricted: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation

Caramel is a concentrated sugary material obtained from heating sucrose or glucose solutions.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • LOW
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • LOW
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • LOW
    Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

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shampoo103 products
conditioner111 products
hair treatment/serum36 products
moisturizer117 products
body firming lotion41 products
sunless tanning101 products
facial cleanser26 products
makeup remover2 products
anti-aging13 products
facial moisturizer/treatment42 products
body wash/cleanser68 products
after shave6 products
skin fading/lightener1 products
hair styling aid50 products
detangler6 products
styling gel/lotion43 products
hair-loss treatment2 products
lip balm7 products
bar soap16 products
hair color and bleaching23 products
mask42 products
exfoliant/scrub40 products
Hair Styling Gel3 products
liquid hand soap14 products
damaged skin treatment1 products
foundation33 products
mouthwash14 products
brow liner16 products
baby oil2 products
baby soap4 products
serums & essences25 products
bubble bath2 products
beard care7 products
antiperspirant/deodorant1 products
toners/astringents8 products
bath oil/salts/soak8 products
daily use with SPF8 products
beard cleanser3 products
beard oil2 products
around-eye cream14 products
lip gloss24 products
tanning oil6 products
styling mousse/foam4 products
body oil2 products
makeup primer3 products
baby shampoo6 products
foot moisturizer1 products
shaving cream1 products
recreational sunscreen5 products
foot cleansing1 products
Facial Sun Care1 products
Putties, Puddings & Clays1 products
hair spray1 products
mascara4 products
hand cream6 products
Oils & Serums1 products
cuticle treatment2 products
nail treatment2 products
bronzer/highlighter2 products
baby lotion2 products
baby wipes1 products

Contamination concerns

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Chemical
4-METHYLIMIDAZOLE
IMIDAZOLE, 2-METHYL-
5-Hydroxymethylfurfural
FURAN
2-acetyl-4-tetrahydroxy-butylimidazole

Multiple, additive exposure sources

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodUS. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Informational

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Color additive approved by FDA for use in cosmeticsUS. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Color additive approved by FDA for cosmetics used around eyesUS. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Color Additives - Exempt from Batch Certification by the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationPersonal Care Products Council

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmfulEnvironment Canada
Classified as a low human health priorityEnvironment Canada

Ecotoxicology

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada
  • US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Personal Care Products Council
  • Environment Canada

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.

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WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH

A product’s hazard score is not an average of the ingredients’ hazard scores. It is calculated using a weight-of-evidence approach that factors in all of the hazards or health impacts associated with the ingredients.

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
NONE

Ingredients have not been assessed.

LIMITED-FAIR

There is only a modest volume of research.

GOOD-ROBUST

Ingredients have been studied extensively.

Can’t find your product?

Enter the ingredients in EWG’s Build Your Own Report tool to get an approximate score for that product.

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