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HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Fair

Carmine

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

SYNONYMS

● 10-DIHYDRO-3,5,6,8-TETRAHYDROXY-1-METHYL-9,10-DIOXO-
● 2-ANTHRACENECARBOXYLIC ACID 7-B -D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL-9
● 2-ANTHRACENECARBOXYLIC ACID, 7-B -D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL-9,
● 7-B -D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL-9, 2-ANTHRACENECARBOXYLIC ACID
● CARMINE
● CARMINE (COCCUS CACTI L.)
● CARMINE 5297
● CARMINE ULTRA-FINE
● CARMINIC ACID
● CARMINIC ACID LAKE
● NATURAL RED 4

Restricted

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

Carmine is a red pigment/dye derived from insects native to South America and Mexico that live as parasites on cactus plants. Used as a colorant in food, cosmetics and textiles. Has been associated with severe allergic reactions. This ingredient is listed in the PETA's Caring Consumer guide as a substance of animal origin.

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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lipstick451 products
eye shadow434 products
eye liner367 products
lip gloss300 products
blush163 products
bronzer/highlighter110 products
mascara82 products
lip balm73 products
lip liner65 products
brow liner43 products
facial powder31 products
mask15 products
foundation14 products
lip plumper13 products
lip balm with SPF6 products
hair removal waxes5 products
facial moisturizer/treatment4 products
hair color and bleaching4 products
setting powder/spray4 products
around-eye cream4 products
concealer4 products
moisturizer3 products
facial cleanser3 products
body wash/cleanser3 products
glitter3 products
3 products
makeup primer2 products
serums & essences2 products
body powder1 products
hair treatment/serum1 products
bath oil/salts/soak1 products
exfoliant/scrub1 products
hair styling aide1 products
conditioner1 products
anti-aging1 products

Ecotoxicology

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CONCERN REFERENCE
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 persistentEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Informational

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CONCERN REFERENCE
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 AdministrationCTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Color additive approved by FDA for use in cosmeticsFDA Color Additive Status

Multiple, additive exposure sources

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodFDA Everything Added to Food

Data gaps

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CONCERN REFERENCE
1754 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed
  • EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
  • CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association). 2006. International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, 11th Edition. Color Additive Information. Washington, DC.
  • FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Color Additive Status List. September 2006.
  • 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.
  • 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.

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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.

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