EWG Skin Deep® | What is MALIC ACID

HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Fair

Malic Acid

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 use restrictions and warnings based on EWG review of company data.

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Use restrictions (high) and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate)

SYNONYMS

● 2-HYDROXYETHANE-1,2-DICARBOXYLIC ACID

● BUTANEDIOIC ACID, HYDROXY

● BUTANEDIOIC ACID, HYDROXY-

● DEOXYTETRARIC ACID

● DL-MALIC ACID

● HYDROXY- BUTANEDIOIC ACID

● HYDROXYBUTANEDIOIC ACID

● HYDROXYSUCCINNIC ACID

● L-MALIC ACID

● MALIC ACID

Restricted

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

Malic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid; present in many sour or acidic food and formed during metabolism in plants and animals.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

LOW

Cancer
LOW

Allergies & Immunotoxicity
LOW

Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
HIGH

Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

CONCERNS
DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

baby wipes	38 products
shampoo	29 products
exfoliant/scrub	25 products
conditioner	21 products
mask	20 products
facial moisturizer/treatment	19 products
body wash/cleanser	19 products
hair treatment/serum	18 products
facial cleanser	11 products
toners/astringents	9 products
hair color and bleaching	8 products
lipstick	7 products
lip balm	7 products
nail treatment	6 products
moisturizer	6 products
serums & essences	6 products
liquid hand soap	5 products
bronzer/highlighter	4 products
styling gel/lotion	4 products
hair styling aide	3 products
nail polish	3 products
foot moisturizer	3 products
around-eye cream	3 products
hand sanitizer	2 products
makeup primer	2 products
bar soap	2 products
recreational sunscreen	2 products
body cleansing wipes	2 products
detangler	2 products
styling mousse/foam	2 products
beard care	1 products
makeup remover	1 products
baby sunscreen	1 products
daily use with SPF	1 products
facial powder	1 products
body powder	1 products
oil controller	1 products
shaving cream (men's)	1 products
after shave	1 products
shaving cream	1 products
beard oil	1 products
skin fading/lightener	1 products
sunless tanning	1 products

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Human any irritant - strong evidence	Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Use restrictions

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Recommended restricted in cosmetics - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Safe for use as a pH adjuster, insufficient data to support safety of other uses, according to industry safety panel	Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics	Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients
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
Not suspected to be an environmental toxin	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List
Classified as a low human health priority	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Persistence and bioaccumulation

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

Data gaps

CONCERN	REFERENCE
2275 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical	NLM PubMed

Multiple, additive exposure sources

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

CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007.
EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
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.

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