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Data: Fair

Carbomer

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)

SYNONYMS

● CARBOMER
● CARBOMER 934
● CARBOMER 934 P
● CARBOMER 941
● CARBOPOL 910
● CARBOXYVINYLPOLYMER

Restricted

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


Carbomer is a large polymeric chemical composed of acrylic acid monomers.

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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moisturizer717 products
facial moisturizer/treatment467 products
mask406 products
shampoo234 products
serums & essences218 products
styling gel/lotion148 products
hand cream145 products
around-eye cream129 products
hand sanitizer121 products
facial cleanser110 products
hair styling aide99 products
exfoliant/scrub95 products
daily use with SPF83 products
eye shadow82 products
recreational sunscreen66 products
toothpaste62 products
body firming lotion53 products
after sun product49 products
baby lotion49 products
foundation49 products
hair color and bleaching47 products
CC cream40 products
hair treatment/serum40 products
conditioner38 products
anti-aging36 products
makeup primer33 products
brow liner29 products
body wash/cleanser25 products
tooth whitening24 products
foot moisturizer23 products
after shave22 products
glitter22 products
bronzer/highlighter20 products
toners/astringents16 products
makeup remover15 products
shaving cream12 products
liquid hand soap12 products
damaged skin treatment12 products
styling mousse/foam11 products
mascara10 products
eye liner10 products
beard care10 products
muscle/joint soreness9 products
9 products
nail treatment8 products
baby sunscreen8 products
bar soap8 products
shaving cream (men's)7 products
skin fading/lightener7 products
concealer6 products
foot cleansing6 products
facial powder6 products
foot odor control6 products
hair spray4 products
tanning oil4 products
lipstick4 products
BB cream4 products
baby wipes4 products
baby toothpaste4 products
lip plumper4 products
setting powder/spray4 products
baby soap4 products
eyelash glue4 products
antiperspirant/deodorant4 products
eye makeup remover3 products
sunless tanning3 products
baby oil3 products
other eye makeup3 products
body oil3 products
makeup removing wipes3 products
hair removal waxes2 products
cuticle treatment2 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)2 products
blush2 products
lip gloss2 products
baby shampoo2 products
pore strips2 products
bath oil/salts/soak1 products
body spray1 products
nail polish1 products
body cleansing wipes1 products
mouthwash1 products
other men's products1 products
baby bubble bath1 products
detangler1 products
beard cleanser1 products
beard oil1 products
facial cleansing wipes1 products

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
any irritation - weight of evidence unknown/unassessedOpen scientific literature

Data gaps

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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 productCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
2245 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed

Informational

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - anyCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Ecotoxicology

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmfulEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Persistence and bioaccumulation

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
  • Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
  • CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
  • NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
  • EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.

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.

Score legend

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

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