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BENZYL ALCOHOL
Score:
Data: Fair
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Use restrictions (moderate), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), and Occupational hazards (high)
Cancer 
Cancer: Ingredients linked to cancer in government, industry or academic studies or assessments.
Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity
Developmental and reproductive toxicity: Ingredients linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, a broad class of health effects that range from infertility and reproductive organ cancers to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Allergies & Immunotoxicity
Allergies and immunotoxicity: Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system, a class of health problems that manifest as allergic reactions or an impaired capacity to fight disease and repair damaged tissue in the body.
Products with this Ingredient
| conditioner | 609 products |
| shampoo | 468 products |
| moisturizer | 323 products |
| lipstick | 281 products |
| hair treatment/serum | 280 products |
| body wash/cleanser | 261 products |
| facial moisturizer/treatment | 206 products |
| mask | 167 products |
| liquid hand soap | 152 products |
| fragrance for women | 138 products |
| foundation | 131 products |
| hair styling aide | 122 products |
| facial cleanser | 110 products |
| lip gloss | 109 products |
| mascara | 107 products |
| recreational sunscreen | 98 products |
| exfoliant/scrub | 97 products |
| serums & essences | 88 products |
| hair color and bleaching | 80 products |
| styling gel/lotion | 72 products |
| hand cream | 66 products |
| hair spray | 56 products |
| antiperspirant/deodorant | 53 products |
| daily use with SPF | 53 products |
| around-eye cream | 50 products |
| eye shadow | 50 products |
| fragrance for men | 47 products |
| lip balm | 39 products |
| makeup remover | 38 products |
| body firming lotion | 36 products |
| toners/astringents | 31 products |
| bronzer/highlighter | 31 products |
| toothpaste | 30 products |
| baby lotion | 29 products |
| bubble bath | 29 products |
| body spray | 29 products |
| makeup primer | 28 products |
| bar soap | 27 products |
| lip balm with SPF | 27 products |
| after sun product | 26 products |
| sunless tanning | 26 products |
| setting powder/spray | 25 products |
| detangler | 24 products |
| facial powder | 22 products |
| styling mousse/foam | 21 products |
| anti-aging | 19 products |
| eye liner | 18 products |
| shaving cream | 17 products |
| concealer | 16 products |
| antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 16 products |
| mouthwash | 15 products |
| body oil | 13 products |
| eye makeup remover | 12 products |
| hand sanitizer | 12 products |
| baby sunscreen | 11 products |
| 11 products | |
| after shave | 9 products |
| lip plumper | 9 products |
| baby soap | 9 products |
| BB cream | 9 products |
| baby shampoo | 9 products |
| bath oil/salts/soak | 8 products |
| hair-loss treatment | 8 products |
| baby toothpaste | 7 products |
| shaving cream (men's) | 6 products |
| baby wipes | 5 products |
| lip liner | 5 products |
| CC cream | 5 products |
| foot moisturizer | 4 products |
| nail treatment | 4 products |
| skin fading/lightener | 3 products |
| baby oil | 3 products |
| baby bubble bath | 3 products |
| beard cleanser | 3 products |
| beard care | 3 products |
| tanning oil | 2 products |
| nail polish | 2 products |
| body powder | 2 products |
| blush | 2 products |
| cuticle treatment | 1 products |
| diaper cream | 1 products |
| muscle/joint soreness | 1 products |
| other eye makeup | 1 products |
| foot cleansing | 1 products |
| glitter | 1 products |
| damaged skin treatment | 1 products |
| beard oil | 1 products |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Known human any toxicant or allergen | Open scientific literature |
| Human any toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | Open scientific literature |
| One or more human case studies show possible allergenic or allergenic effects | EWG Assessment of Open Scientific Literature |
| Associated with immunotoxicity or allergies | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Occupational hazards
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Use restrictions
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Recommended restricted in cosmetics - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Fragrance subject to restrictions: safe only within recommended use or concentration limitsn) | International Fragrance Association Codes & Standards |
| Restricted in cosmetics - labeling requirement for allergens | CosIng |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Classified as medium human health priority | Open scientific literature |
| Classified as toxic or harmful | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Ecotoxicology
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Wildlife and environmental toxicity | Open scientific literature |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Open scientific literature |
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 |
| 5667 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Informational
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - any | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Not suspected to be persistent | Open scientific literature |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Open scientific literature |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Data Sources
- 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.
- IFRA (International Fragrance Association). 2006. Codes and Standards.
- European Commission. 2013. Cosing, the European Commission database with information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. Accessed on March 1, 2013 at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/ .
- 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.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
- This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns.
- This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products intended for use around mouth due to increased risk of ingestion and absorption.
- This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products intended for use on lips due to increased risk of ingestion and absorption.
- Products with the EWG VERIFIED mark have met use restrictions and warnings based on EWG review of company data.
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. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer
ABOUT EWG VERIFIED™
Beyond providing Skin Deep® as an educational tool for consumers, EWG offers its EWG VERIFIED™ mark as a quick and easily identifiable way of conveying personal care products that meet EWG's strict health criteria. Before a company can use EWG VERIFIED™ on such products, the company must show that it fully discloses the products' ingredients on their labels or packaging, they do not contain EWG ingredients of concern, and are made with good manufacturing practices, among other criteria. Note that EWG receives licensing fees from all EWG VERIFIED™ member companies that help to support the important work we do. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer
