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Data: Limited

Potassium Sorbate

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)

SYNONYMS

● 2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID, POTASSIUM SALT
● 2,4HEXADIENOIC ACID, POTASSIUM SALT
● POTASSIUM SALT 2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID
● POTASSIUM SORBATE

Restricted

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


Potassium sorbate is a potassium salt of sorbic acid, a naturally occuringantimicrobial compound; used as a preservative

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

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

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

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foundation682 products
shampoo591 products
conditioner509 products
facial moisturizer/treatment438 products
moisturizer381 products
body wash/cleanser349 products
serums & essences326 products
hair treatment/serum270 products
facial cleanser266 products
concealer265 products
mask244 products
eye shadow222 products
liquid hand soap220 products
hair styling aide191 products
around-eye cream177 products
mascara165 products
daily use with SPF158 products
exfoliant/scrub126 products
brow liner120 products
toners/astringents115 products
hand cream90 products
eye liner85 products
styling gel/lotion80 products
makeup primer80 products
hair color and bleaching72 products
bronzer/highlighter71 products
lipstick68 products
setting powder/spray67 products
sunless tanning63 products
BB cream62 products
blush61 products
makeup remover56 products
toothpaste55 products
hair spray42 products
recreational sunscreen42 products
baby wipes41 products
baby shampoo39 products
anti-aging36 products
bubble bath35 products
antiperspirant/deodorant35 products
baby soap33 products
hand sanitizer32 products
styling mousse/foam31 products
body firming lotion30 products
detangler29 products
shaving cream29 products
facial powder26 products
body spray26 products
mouthwash23 products
baby lotion22 products
after sun product19 products
body cleansing wipes19 products
nail polish16 products
lip balm16 products
facial cleansing wipes16 products
glitter16 products
bath oil/salts/soak13 products
after shave13 products
12 products
skin fading/lightener11 products
shaving cream (men's)11 products
baby bubble bath10 products
baby toothpaste10 products
lip gloss10 products
hair-loss treatment9 products
bar soap9 products
other eye makeup9 products
beard care9 products
fragrance for women8 products
body oil8 products
beard cleanser8 products
foot moisturizer7 products
tanning oil7 products
CC cream6 products
baby sunscreen6 products
nail treatment5 products
lip plumper5 products
muscle/joint soreness4 products
tooth whitening4 products
depilatory4 products
eye makeup remover4 products
pore strips4 products
eyelash glue4 products
fragrance for men3 products
polish remover3 products
lip balm with SPF3 products
makeup removing wipes3 products
diaper cream2 products
oil controller2 products
cuticle treatment1 products
hair relaxer1 products
baby oil1 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)1 products
body art1 products
exfoliant/scrub - large particle1 products

Allergies/immunotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidenceCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Limited evidence of sense organ toxicityScorecard.org Toxicity Information
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmfulEnvironment 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
356 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemicalNLM PubMed

Ecotoxicology

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

Multiple, additive exposure sources

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

Informational

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - anyCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Persistence and bioaccumulation

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be persistentEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
  • CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
  • ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
  • 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) 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.

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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