EWG Skin Deep® | What is 2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER)

HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED™

Data: Fair

2 Bromo 2 Nitropropane 1,3 Diol (Formaldehyde Releaser)

This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns.
This ingredient is unacceptable for use in EWG VERIFIED products

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Use restrictions (low), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (high), Ecotoxicology (low), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high), Occupational hazards (high), and Contamination concerns (high)

SYNONYMS

1,3-PROPANEDIOL, 2-BROMO-2-NITRO-, 1,3PROPANEDIOL, 2BROMO2NITRO, 2-BROMO-2-NITRO- 1,3-PROPANEDIOL, 2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL, 2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1,3-DIOL (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER), and BRONOPOL

Restricted

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

2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol is an antimicrobial preservative that works by forming formaldehyde in cosmetic products. People exposed to such formaldehyde-releasing ingredients may develop a formaldehyde allergy or an allergy to the ingredient itself. In the U.S. approximately 20% of cosmetics and personal care products contain a formaldehyde-releaser and the frequency of contact allergy to these ingredients is much higher among Americans compared to studies in Europe.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

LOW

Cancer
HIGH

Allergies & Immunotoxicity
LOW

Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
LOW

Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

CONCERNS
DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

liquid hand soap	13 products
baby wipes	8 products
makeup remover	6 products
mask	4 products
hand sanitizer	4 products
moisturizer	3 products
facial moisturizer/treatment	2 products
serums & essences	2 products
antiperspirant/deodorant	2 products
body wash/cleanser	2 products
anti-aging	2 products
sunless tanning	2 products
facial cleanser	2 products
conditioner	2 products
eyelash glue	1 products
around-eye cream	1 products
hair styling aide	1 products
hand cream	1 products

Contamination concerns

Chemical
FORMALDEHYDE
NITROSAMINES

Allergies/immunotoxicity

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Known human skin toxicant or allergen	Open scientific literature
Human any toxicant or allergen - strong evidence	Open scientific literature
Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidence	EWG Assessment of Open Scientific Literature
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies	National Library of Medicine HazMap

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Known human lung and skin toxicant	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling
Limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity	Scorecard.org Toxicity Information
One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient)	EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Classified as lung and skin irritant	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling

Occupational hazards

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling

Cancer

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Cancer - limited evidence	Open scientific literature

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

Ecotoxicology

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Wildlife and environmental toxicity	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling
Suspected to be an environmental toxin	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

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
165 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical	NLM PubMed

Persistence and bioaccumulation

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Not suspected to be bioaccumulative	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be persistent	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
EWG Assessment of Open Scientific Literature
NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
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.
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.
EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
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.

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.

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