Silica, Amorphous
- †This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns.
Other Concerns
Persistence and bioaccumulation (high) and Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)SYNONYMS
SILICON DIOXIDE, AMORPHOUS SILICA, AMORPHOUS SILICA GEL; AMORPHOUS SILICA GEL; DIATOMACEOUS EARTH, CALCINED; DIATOMACEOUS EARTH, CALCINED; SILICA; SILICON DIOXIDE; SILICON DIOXIDE; SILICON DIOXIDE (AMORPHOUS); SILICON OXIDE, AMORPHOUS SILICON OXIDE HYDRATE, FUMED SILICON DIOXIDE, ROSE ABSOLUTE, SILICA, SILICA, AMORPHOUS, SILICIC ANHYDRIDE, SILICON DIOXIDE, SILICON DIOXIDE, FUMED, SPHERON P-1000, and SPHERON PL-700Silica is the most common constituent of sand. Fine silica, typically used in industrial applications and inhaled by workers, is associated with a wide range of disorders, particularly affecting the lungs and respiratory system. In cosmetics for skin use, regular sand presents little, if any risk to people. In contrast, for products that might be inhaled (such as a facial powder), silica particles are finely ground down and may be associated with respiratory toxicity.
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
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LOWCancer
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LOWAllergies & Immunotoxicity
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LOWDevelopmental and Reingredientive Toxicity
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LOWUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
foundation | 1716 products |
lipstick | 1263 products |
eye shadow | 1048 products |
concealer | 676 products |
bronzer/highlighter | 506 products |
lip gloss | 448 products |
nail polish | 427 products |
blush | 416 products |
daily use with SPF | 312 products |
brow liner | 302 products |
eye liner | 282 products |
recreational sunscreen | 280 products |
facial powder | 216 products |
lip liner | 184 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant | 172 products |
mascara | 169 products |
facial moisturizer/treatment | 158 products |
setting powder/spray | 147 products |
shampoo | 134 products |
makeup primer | 128 products |
exfoliant/scrub | 120 products |
lip balm | 96 products |
mask | 92 products |
BB cream | 85 products |
serums & essences | 79 products |
around-eye cream | 60 products |
lip plumper | 57 products |
55 products | |
hair color and bleaching | 54 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 54 products |
glitter | 51 products |
toothpaste | 46 products |
CC cream | 40 products |
facial cleanser | 39 products |
baby sunscreen | 36 products |
moisturizer | 35 products |
body oil | 30 products |
hair styling aide | 25 products |
conditioner | 24 products |
lip balm with SPF | 24 products |
hair treatment/serum | 24 products |
body powder | 18 products |
pore strips | 18 products |
bath oil/salts/soak | 16 products |
anti-aging | 12 products |
hair spray | 11 products |
bubble bath | 11 products |
hair-loss treatment | 10 products |
baby toothpaste | 8 products |
body wash/cleanser | 8 products |
liquid hand soap | 8 products |
toners/astringents | 7 products |
nail treatment | 6 products |
body firming lotion | 6 products |
makeup remover | 6 products |
hand cream | 5 products |
styling gel/lotion | 5 products |
skin fading/lightener | 5 products |
shaving cream | 5 products |
oil controller | 4 products |
sunless tanning | 4 products |
foot cleansing | 4 products |
tanning oil | 4 products |
foot odor control | 4 products |
body art | 4 products |
tooth whitening | 3 products |
depilatory | 3 products |
after sun product | 3 products |
other eye makeup | 3 products |
damaged skin treatment | 3 products |
shaving cream (men's) | 2 products |
cuticle treatment | 2 products |
after shave | 2 products |
hair removal waxes | 2 products |
polish remover | 2 products |
styling mousse/foam | 2 products |
beard care | 2 products |
nail glue | 2 products |
fragrance for men | 1 products |
diaper cream | 1 products |
hair relaxer | 1 products |
foot moisturizer | 1 products |
body spray | 1 products |
baby lotion | 1 products |
bar soap | 1 products |
beard oil | 1 products |
muscle/joint soreness | 1 products |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife and humans | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Classified as a low human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps
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 product | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
65522 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
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 |
Cancer
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited or incomplete evidence of cancer according to safety/hazard data – government assessment cannot classify as human carcinogen due to data gaps | Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens |
Informational
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - any | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Ecotoxicology
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
- 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.
- 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.
- IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99 (a total of 935 agents, mixtures and exposures).
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.