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Face & Body
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Face
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Anti Aging
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Around Eye Cream
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BB Cream
-
CC Cream
-
Facial Cleanser
-
Facial Moisturizer/Treatment
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Remover
-
Mask
-
Oil Controller
-
Pore Strips
-
Serums & Essences
-
Skin Fading/Lightener
-
Toners/Astringents
-
Body
-
After Sun Product
-
Antiperspirant/Deodorant
-
Bar Soap
-
Bath Oil/Salts/Soak
-
Body Firming Lotion
-
Body Oil
-
Body Wash/Cleanser
-
Bubble Bath
-
Exfoliant/Scrub
-
Foot Cleansing
-
Foot Moisturizer
-
Foot Odor Control
-
Hand Cream
-
Hand Sanitizer
-
Liquid Hand Soap
-
Moisturizer
-
Muscle/Joint Soreness
-
Hair
-
Shampoo & Conditioner
-
Detangler
-
Hair Color And Bleaching
-
Hair Relaxer
-
Hair Spray
-
Styling Gel/Lotion
-
Styling Mousse/Foam
-
Styling
-
Detangler
-
Hair Color And Bleaching
-
Hair Relaxer
-
Hair Spray
-
Styling Gel/Lotion
-
Styling Mousse/Foam
-
Hair Removal
-
Depilatory
-
Hair Removal Waxes
-
Hair Products For People Of Color
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Baby Shampoo
-
Conditioner
-
Detangler
-
Hair Color And Bleaching
-
Hair Relaxer
-
Hair Removal Waxes
-
Hair Spray
-
Hair Styling Aide
-
Hair Treatment/Serum
-
Hair Loss Treatment
-
Shampoo
-
Shaving Cream
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Styling Gel/Lotion
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Styling Mousse/Foam
Data: Fair
Polyoxymethylene Urea (Formaldehyde Releaser)
- This ingredient is unacceptable for use in EWG VERIFIED products
- This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns.
Other Concerns
Use restrictions (low), Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), and Contamination concerns (high)SYNONYMS
CARBAMIDE-FORMALDEHYDE COPOLYMER, FORMALDEHYDE, UREA ADDUCT; UREA, REACTION PRODUCTS WITH FORMALDEHYDE, POLYMER WITH FORMALDEHYDE UREA, POLYNOXYLIN, POLYOXYMETHYLENE UREA, POLYOXYMETHYLENE UREA (FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER), UREA, POLYMER WITH FORMALDEHYDE, UREA, REACTION PRODUCTS WITH FORMALDEHYDE, and UREA-FORMALDEHYDE RESINRestricted - Unaccpetable
The score of this ingredient can vary from Restricted to Unacceptable based on the method of product consumption. For instance, when used in aerosol-based products, this ingredient may pose a risk to respiratory health, leading to a higher score
Click here for more information about ingredient scores
Polyoxymethylene Urea is a reaction product of urea and formaldehyde.
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
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LOWCancer
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HIGHAllergies & Immunotoxicity
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LOWDevelopmental and Reproductive Toxicity
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LOWUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
| setting powder/spray | 2 products |
| body powder | 1 products |
Contamination concerns
| Chemical |
|---|
| FORMALDEHYDE |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Known human any toxicant or allergen | Open scientific literature |
| Human immune and respiratory toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics |
Use restrictions
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - any | Open scientific literature |
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Persistent or bioaccumulative and moderate to high toxicity concern in humans | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Classified as medium human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Cancer
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Cancer - limited evidence | Open scientific literature |
Ecotoxicology
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps
| CONCERN | REFERENCE |
|---|---|
| Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - any | Open scientific literature |
| 9316 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 | Open scientific literature |
- Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
- AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation.
- CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
- 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 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.
