Laureth 4
- †This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products intended for use around the eyes due to increased risk of absorption.
- †This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns.
- †Products with the EWG VERIFIED mark have met the program’s impurity and use restrictions based on EWG's review of the company's data.
Other Concerns
Use restrictions (low), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate), and Contamination concerns (high)SYNONYMS
3,6,9,12-TETRAOXATETRACOSAN-1-OL, LAURETH-4, LAURYL ALCOHOL TRI(OXYETHYLENE) ETHANOL, PEG-4 LAURYL ETHER, POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 200 LAURYL ETHER, POLYOXYETHYLENE (4) LAURYL ETHER, and TETRAETHYLENE GLYCOL DODECYL ETHERLaureth-4 is a synthetic polymer composed of lauryl alcohol and PEG (polyethylene glycol). Due to the presence of PEG, this ingredient may contain potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane.
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
-
LOWCancer
-
LOWAllergies & Immunotoxicity
-
LOWDevelopmental and Reingredientive Toxicity
-
LOWUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
shampoo | 118 products |
body wash/cleanser | 88 products |
foundation | 76 products |
liquid hand soap | 66 products |
facial moisturizer/treatment | 26 products |
hair color and bleaching | 23 products |
bronzer/highlighter | 21 products |
blush | 21 products |
conditioner | 21 products |
facial cleanser | 18 products |
hair treatment/serum | 15 products |
eye shadow | 15 products |
serums & essences | 14 products |
styling mousse/foam | 13 products |
moisturizer | 13 products |
concealer | 13 products |
bubble bath | 12 products |
glitter | 10 products |
exfoliant/scrub | 10 products |
lipstick | 8 products |
styling gel/lotion | 6 products |
hair styling aide | 6 products |
around-eye cream | 6 products |
hair spray | 5 products |
baby shampoo | 5 products |
sunless tanning | 5 products |
daily use with SPF | 5 products |
mask | 4 products |
hand cream | 4 products |
baby soap | 3 products |
3 products | |
after shave | 3 products |
anti-aging | 3 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 3 products |
beard cleanser | 2 products |
detangler | 2 products |
toners/astringents | 2 products |
foot moisturizer | 2 products |
mascara | 2 products |
baby bubble bath | 2 products |
oil controller | 1 products |
setting powder/spray | 1 products |
recreational sunscreen | 1 products |
vapor rubs | 1 products |
makeup primer | 1 products |
hair-loss treatment | 1 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant | 1 products |
Contamination concerns
Chemical |
---|
ETHYLENE OXIDE |
1,4-DIOXANE |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Human any irritant - strong evidence | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Use restrictions
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - any | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Data gaps
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Safety assessment was based on related chemical | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
40 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 |
- 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 SCORESHazard 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.