Laureth 4
- This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products intended for use around the eyes due to increased risk of absorption.
- Products with this ingredient are allowed for use in EWG VERIFIED but must meet use restrictions and warnings based on EWG review of company data.
- 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
Restricted
Restricted: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation
Laureth-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 Reproductive Toxicity
-
LOWUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
shampoo | 147 products |
foundation | 74 products |
body wash/cleanser | 64 products |
liquid hand soap | 57 products |
moisturizer | 35 products |
hair color and bleaching | 31 products |
bronzer/highlighter | 28 products |
daily use with SPF | 24 products |
conditioner | 23 products |
blush | 23 products |
facial moisturizer/treatment | 21 products |
styling mousse/foam | 20 products |
lipstick | 19 products |
facial cleanser | 18 products |
hair treatment/serum | 18 products |
eye shadow | 15 products |
serums & essences | 13 products |
concealer | 13 products |
glitter | 12 products |
hair spray | 12 products |
styling gel/lotion | 11 products |
around-eye cream | 9 products |
hair styling aide | 8 products |
bubble bath | 7 products |
setting powder/spray | 7 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant | 6 products |
hand cream | 5 products |
exfoliant/scrub | 4 products |
sunless tanning | 4 products |
3 products | |
toners/astringents | 3 products |
baby shampoo | 3 products |
baby soap | 2 products |
bath oil/salts/soak | 2 products |
mask | 2 products |
foot moisturizer | 2 products |
mascara | 2 products |
anti-aging | 2 products |
detangler | 2 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 2 products |
after shave | 2 products |
body oil | 1 products |
lip gloss | 1 products |
baby lotion | 1 products |
beard care | 1 products |
beard cleanser | 1 products |
makeup primer | 1 products |
baby bubble bath | 1 products |
bar soap | 1 products |
skin fading/lightener | 1 products |
hair relaxer | 1 products |
beard oil | 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 |
any irritation - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed | Open scientific literature |
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.
- Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
- 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.