Other Concerns
Enhanced skin absorption, Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low), and Multiple, additive exposure sources (low)SYNONYMS
This ingredient is not currently on EWG's Skin Deep Restricted or Unacceptable Lists.
Ethanol is grain alcohol, considered broadly toxic and linked to birth defects. Potential risks from ethanol in personal care products, however, are dwarfed by risks posed from the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
-
LOWCancer
-
LOWAllergies & Immunotoxicity
-
MODERATEDevelopmental and Reproductive Toxicity
-
LOWUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
body spray | 4 products |
recreational sunscreen | 2 products |
setting powder/spray | 1 products |
facial cleanser | 1 products |
after shave | 1 products |
Enhanced skin absorption
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Penetration enhancer | Open scientific literature |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | Canada PBTs - Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET) |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Used in food or as an additive with limited or no toxicity information available | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
reproductive - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Cancer
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Cancer - limited evidence | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Miscellaneous
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Occupational hazards related to handling | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Data gaps
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
0 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Neurotoxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
nervous system - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
- Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
- EC (Environment Canada). 1994. Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET). ARET substance list of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
- 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.
- 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.
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.