EWG Skin Deep® | What is ZINC OXIDE (sunscreen grade

HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED™

Data: Fair

Zinc Oxide (Sunscreen Grade ≪ 100nm)

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

Enhanced skin absorption, Use restrictions (moderate), Persistence and bioaccumulation (low), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), Ecotoxicology (low), Occupational hazards (moderate), and Biochemical or cellular level changes (high)

SYNONYMS

NANO ZINC OXIDE, NANO ZINC OXIDE (20-60NM), NANOZN, ZINC OXIDE (NANO 20-60NM), and ZINC OXIDE (SUNSCREEN GRADE &LT; 100NM)

Restricted

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

Nano zinc oxide offers greater sun protection than larger zinc particles. Comparatively little is known regarding potential health effects of nanoparticles. They do not penetrate healthy skin to a large degree, and thus appear to pose a low health risk in lotions. Inhalation of powders and sprays is a concern.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

LOW

Cancer
LOW

Allergies & Immunotoxicity
LOW

Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
MODERATE

Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

CONCERNS
DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

foundation	37 products
antiperspirant/deodorant	13 products
blush	7 products
recreational sunscreen	4 products
concealer	4 products
daily use with SPF	3 products
diaper cream	2 products
BB cream	2 products
facial powder	1 products
lip balm	1 products
makeup primer	1 products
shampoo	1 products
body powder	1 products
baby sunscreen	1 products
lip liner	1 products
CC cream	1 products
	1 products

Enhanced skin absorption

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Nano-scale ingredients with potential to absorb into the skin	Open scientific literature
Nano-scale ingredients with potential to absorb into the skin	Nanomaterial Database

Biochemical or cellular level changes

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Produces excess reactive oxygen species that can interfere with cellular signaling, cause mutations, lead to cell death and may be implicated in cardiovascular disease.	Open scientific literature

Occupational hazards

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to moderate doses	National Library of Medicine HazMap
Moderate evidence of occupational hazards	Open scientific literature

Decreased skin absorption

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Limited potential to absorb into the skin.	Open scientific literature

Use restrictions

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - any	Open scientific literature

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Possible human respiratory toxicant	Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics
Limited evidence of respiratory toxicity	Scorecard.org Toxicity Information
One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient)	EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs
Associated with respiratory toxicity	Open scientific literature

Cancer

CONCERN	REFERENCE
One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results	Open scientific literature
One or more in vitro tests on microorganisms show positive mutation results	Open scientific literature

Persistence and bioaccumulation

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Found to be persistent and bioaccumulative in wildlife	Open scientific literature

Ecotoxicology

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Wildlife and environmental toxicity	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling
Wildlife and environmental toxicity	Open scientific literature

Data gaps

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Insufficient data to determine safety	Open scientific literature
6094 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 - Color additive approved by FDA for use in cosmetics	FDA Color Additive Status
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Color Additives - Exempt from Batch Certification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration	CTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook

Developmental/reproductive toxicity

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Not likely to be a reproductive toxicant in humans	Open scientific literature

Multiple, additive exposure sources

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

Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
NanoWerk. 2007. Nanomaterial Database. Available online: http://www.nanowerk.com/phpscripts/n_dbsearch.php
NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation.
ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule.
CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP.
NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Color Additive Status List. September 2006.
CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association). 2006. International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, 11th Edition. Color Additive Information. Washington, DC.
FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006.
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