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SODIUM HYDROXIDE
Score:
Data: Fair
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Use restrictions (high), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
Cancer 
Cancer: Ingredients linked to cancer in government, industry or academic studies or assessments.
Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity
Developmental and reproductive toxicity: Ingredients linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, a broad class of health effects that range from infertility and reproductive organ cancers to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Allergies & Immunotoxicity
Allergies and immunotoxicity: Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system, a class of health problems that manifest as allergic reactions or an impaired capacity to fight disease and repair damaged tissue in the body.
Products with this Ingredient
| moisturizer | 270 products |
| facial moisturizer/treatment | 232 products |
| shampoo | 220 products |
| body wash/cleanser | 181 products |
| facial cleanser | 163 products |
| serums & essences | 144 products |
| bar soap | 142 products |
| mask | 127 products |
| conditioner | 108 products |
| foundation | 94 products |
| body firming lotion | 82 products |
| moisturizer with SPF | 79 products |
| exfoliant/scrub | 77 products |
| beach & sport sunscreen | 68 products |
| hand cream | 66 products |
| toothpaste | 63 products |
| liquid hand soap | 57 products |
| eye liner | 55 products |
| around-eye cream | 52 products |
| hair treatment/serum | 47 products |
| makeup primer | 44 products |
| toners/astringents | 35 products |
| baby lotion | 34 products |
| hair color and bleaching | 34 products |
| mascara | 32 products |
| bronzer/highlighter | 26 products |
| hair styling aide | 26 products |
| makeup remover | 25 products |
| shaving cream | 24 products |
| baby shampoo | 23 products |
| brow liner | 21 products |
| anti-aging | 20 products |
| tooth whitening | 19 products |
| baby soap | 17 products |
| shaving cream (men's) | 15 products |
| styling gel/lotion | 13 products |
| foot moisturizer | 13 products |
| bath oil/salts/soak | 13 products |
| after shave | 12 products |
| eye shadow | 12 products |
| bubble bath | 12 products |
| antiperspirant/deodorant | 11 products |
| after sun product | 10 products |
| setting powder/spray | 10 products |
| mouthwash | 9 products |
| beard care | 9 products |
| damaged skin treatment | 8 products |
| hair spray | 7 products |
| detangler | 7 products |
| baby wipes | 7 products |
| hand sanitizer | 7 products |
| 7 products | |
| sunless tanning | 6 products |
| eye makeup remover | 6 products |
| baby oil | 5 products |
| oil controller | 5 products |
| blush | 5 products |
| baby sunscreen | 5 products |
| depilatory | 4 products |
| concealer | 4 products |
| hair relaxer | 4 products |
| BB cream | 4 products |
| fragrance for women | 3 products |
| foot cleansing | 3 products |
| lip balm | 3 products |
| body spray | 3 products |
| antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 2 products |
| cuticle treatment | 2 products |
| styling mousse/foam | 2 products |
| diaper cream | 2 products |
| other eye makeup | 2 products |
| nail polish | 2 products |
| beard cleanser | 2 products |
| skin fading/lightener | 1 products |
| baby bubble bath | 1 products |
| muscle/joint soreness | 1 products |
| lipstick | 1 products |
| lip plumper | 1 products |
| vapor rubs | 1 products |
| glitter | 1 products |
| fragrance for men | 1 products |
| body powder | 1 products |
| other men's products | 1 products |
| body art | 1 products |
Use restrictions
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Avoid or minimize skin exposure: recommendation from industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) | Final report 12/2015 available from CIR |
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - any | CosIng |
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Final report 12/2015 available from CIR |
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 |
Occupational hazards
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Single case study detailing occupational hazards | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Miscellaneous
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Occupational hazards related to handling | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Data gaps
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| 7043 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Ecotoxicology
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
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 |
Informational
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Avoid or minimize skin exposure: recommendation from industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) | Final report 12/2015 available from CIR |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data Sources
- Final report 12/2015 available from CIR
- European Commission. 2013. Cosing, the European Commission database with information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. Accessed on March 1, 2013 at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/ .
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- 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. 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.
- Products with the EWG VERIFIED mark have met use restrictions and warnings based on EWG review of company data.
- This ingredient’s score is lower when used as a saponification agent (e.g., soaps and cleansers)
ABOUT THE SKIN DEEP® RATINGS
EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer
ABOUT EWG VERIFIED™
Beyond providing Skin Deep® as an educational tool for consumers, EWG offers its EWG VERIFIED™ mark as a quick and easily identifiable way of conveying personal care products that meet EWG's strict health criteria. Before a company can use EWG VERIFIED™ on such products, the company must show that it fully discloses the products' ingredients on their labels or packaging, they do not contain EWG ingredients of concern, and are made with good manufacturing practices, among other criteria. Note that EWG receives licensing fees from all EWG VERIFIED™ member companies that help to support the important work we do. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer
