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Data: Fair

Methylisothiazolinone

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

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

SYNONYMS

● 2-METHYL- 3(2H)-ISOTHIAZOLONE
● 2-METHYL-2H-ISOTHIAZOL-3-ONE
● 2-METHYL-3(2H)-ISOTHIAZOLONE
● 2-METHYL-4-ISOTHIAZOLIN-3-ONE
● 3(2H)-ISOTHIAZOLONE, 2-METHYL-
● 3(2H)ISOTHIAZOLONE, 2METHYL
● METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE225METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE SOLUTION
● METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE

Unacceptable

Unacceptable: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient


Methylisothiazolinone is a widely-used preservative; has been associated with allergic reactions. Lab studies on the brain cells of mammals also suggest that methylisothiazolinone may be neurotoxic.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • HIGH
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • LOW
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • HIGH
    Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

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shampoo463 products
conditioner402 products
liquid hand soap391 products
body wash/cleanser384 products
hair color and bleaching61 products
hair treatment/serum56 products
bubble bath51 products
facial cleanser42 products
moisturizer39 products
hair styling aide21 products
bath oil/salts/soak20 products
styling gel/lotion17 products
recreational sunscreen17 products
exfoliant/scrub16 products
facial moisturizer/treatment14 products
baby shampoo14 products
mask13 products
baby wipes11 products
baby bubble bath8 products
beard cleanser8 products
daily use with SPF7 products
baby soap6 products
serums & essences5 products
hand sanitizer5 products
body cleansing wipes5 products
body firming lotion4 products
hair spray3 products
toners/astringents3 products
anti-aging2 products
styling mousse/foam2 products
after sun product2 products
eye liner2 products
foundation2 products
shaving cream2 products
bar soap2 products
2 products
baby oil2 products
baby lotion2 products
muscle/joint soreness2 products
foot moisturizer1 products
hand cream1 products
concealer1 products
detangler1 products
around-eye cream1 products
hair relaxer1 products
bronzer/highlighter1 products
blush1 products
sunless tanning1 products
nail polish1 products
body spray1 products
baby sunscreen1 products
after shave1 products
eyelash glue1 products
damaged skin treatment1 products
beard care1 products

Use restrictions

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Violation of government restrictions - Banned or found unsafe for use in cosmeticsOpen scientific literature
Violation of government restrictions - Banned or found unsafe for use in cosmeticsCanada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Japan - concentration limit in some types of cosmetics when combined with certain other ingredient(s)Japan's Standards for Cosmetics
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmeticsCanada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualificationsCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Allergies/immunotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Known human immune toxicant or allergenOpen scientific literature
Human sensitizer toxicant or allergen - strong evidenceOpen scientific literature
Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidenceCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
Human any toxicant or allergen - moderate evidenceOpen scientific literature
One or more human case studies show significant skin or allergenic effectsOpen scientific literature
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergiesNational Library of Medicine HazMap

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Possible human skin sensitizer irritantOpen scientific literature

Neurotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells demonstrate neurotoxicityOpen scientific literature

Ecotoxicology

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Wildlife and environmental toxicityOpen scientific literature
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Data gaps

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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 productCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
331 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed

Persistence and bioaccumulation

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be persistentEnvironment 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
  • Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
  • Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007.
  • Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. 2006. Standards for Cosmetics. Evaluation and Licensing Division. Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau.
  • 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). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
  • 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.

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.

Score legend

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

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