Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.
EWG Home EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning EWG’s Food Scores Healthy Living App Open menu

EWG's Skin Deep®
Find products and ingredients Learn how Skin Deep® works Meet our experts Discover EWG VERIFIED®
GET UPDATES DONATE
Score legend
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Limited

Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcristallina)

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)

SYNONYMS

● CERA MICROCRISTALLINA
● HYDROCARBON WAXES, MICROCRYST
● MICROCRYST HYDROCARBON WAXES
● MICROCRYSTALLINE PETROLEUM WAX
● MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX
● MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX (CERA MICROCRISTALLINA)
● MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX; MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX
● PARAFFIN WAXES AND HYDROCARBON WAXES, MICROCRYST.
● PETROLEUM WAX, MICROCRYSTALLINE

Restricted

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

Microcrystalline wax is a hydrocarbon wax derived from petroleum.

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

Expand content Collapse content
lipstick1033 products
eye liner346 products
lip balm307 products
lip liner235 products
lip gloss218 products
concealer206 products
foundation178 products
blush172 products
bronzer/highlighter150 products
brow liner141 products
eye shadow127 products
mascara77 products
exfoliant/scrub42 products
moisturizer32 products
hair styling aide29 products
lip plumper29 products
mask21 products
makeup primer18 products
diaper cream17 products
bar soap14 products
lip balm with SPF14 products
facial cleanser14 products
facial moisturizer/treatment12 products
styling gel/lotion10 products
BB cream8 products
body wash/cleanser8 products
recreational sunscreen7 products
7 products
around-eye cream6 products
facial powder6 products
depilatory5 products
fragrance for women4 products
anti-aging3 products
antiperspirant/deodorant3 products
hand cream2 products
hair color and bleaching2 products
hair spray2 products
conditioner2 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)2 products
daily use with SPF1 products
makeup remover1 products
setting powder/spray1 products
baby sunscreen1 products
hair treatment/serum1 products
baby lotion1 products
nail polish1 products
sunless tanning1 products
other eye makeup1 products
shampoo1 products
liquid hand soap1 products
hair removal waxes1 products

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as expected to be toxic or harmfulEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Classified as medium human health priorityEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Data gaps

Expand content Collapse content
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
20 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed

Ecotoxicology

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Persistence and bioaccumulation

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Informational

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - anyCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
  • EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
  • 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 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
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.

Can’t find your product?

Enter the ingredients in EWG’s Build Your Own Report tool to get an approximate score for that product.

BUILD YOUR OWN REPORT

News & updates

Big Market for Black Cosmetics, but Less-Hazardous Choices Limited
RESEARCH
Big Market for Black Cosmetics, but Less-Hazardous Choices Limited
K-Beauty Trends: Serums, Essences and EWG’s Best Bets
RESEARCH
K-Beauty Trends: Serums, Essences and EWG’s Best Bets
FDA Asks Women To Protect Themselves From Products The Agency Refused To Ban
NEWS RELEASE
FDA Asks Women To Protect Themselves From Products The Agency Refused To Ban
Study Highlights Importance of Cosmetics Ingredient Safety Tests
NEWS RELEASE
Study Highlights Importance of Cosmetics Ingredient Safety Tests
READ ALL ARTICLES
CleanCon Promo Banner

Interested in
learning more
about clean living?



Join us

September 23, 2023 | Los Angeles, CA

LEARN MORE