EWG Skin Deep® | What is SODIUM METABISULFITE

HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED™

Data: Fair

Sodium Metabisulfite

This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products intended for use around the eyes due to increased risk of absorption.
This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products intended for use around mouth due to increased risk of ingestion and absorption.
This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products intended for use on lips due to increased risk of ingestion and absorption.
Products with the EWG VERIFIED mark have met use restrictions and warnings based on EWG review of company data.

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Use restrictions (moderate), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high), and Occupational hazards (high)

SYNONYMS

● DISODIUM DISULPHITE

● DISODIUM SALT DISULFUROUS ACID

● DISODIUM SALT PYROSULFUROUS ACID

● DISULFUROUS ACID, DISODIUM SALT

● PYROSULFUROUS ACID, DISODIUM SALT

● SODIUM METABISULFITE

● SODIUM PYROSULFITE

Restricted

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

Sodium metabisulfite is an inorganic salt used as a preservative.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

LOW

Cancer
LOW

Allergies & Immunotoxicity
LOW

Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
MODERATE

Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

CONCERNS
DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

sunless tanning	61 products
facial moisturizer/treatment	38 products
serums & essences	33 products
hair color and bleaching	16 products
hair treatment/serum	15 products
shampoo	13 products
facial cleanser	11 products
mask	11 products
conditioner	11 products
around-eye cream	8 products
skin fading/lightener	7 products
moisturizer	6 products
bar soap	6 products
exfoliant/scrub	5 products
body wash/cleanser	5 products
daily use with SPF	5 products
brow liner	4 products
makeup remover	3 products
toners/astringents	3 products
makeup primer	3 products
setting powder/spray	3 products
recreational sunscreen	3 products
hair styling aide	2 products
other eye makeup	2 products
anti-aging	2 products
body firming lotion	2 products
foot moisturizer	1 products
	1 products
body spray	1 products
hair spray	1 products
tanning oil	1 products
concealer	1 products

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Classified as irritant	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling

Occupational hazards

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling

Use restrictions

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - any	CosIng

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Limited evidence of eye toxicity	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling
Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List
Classified as medium human health priority	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List
Classified as toxic or harmful	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling

Allergies/immunotoxicity

CONCERN	REFERENCE
One or more human case studies show possible immune and respiratory or allergenic effects	Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergies	National Library of Medicine HazMap

Miscellaneous

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Occupational hazards related to handling	CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling

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
468 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

Informational

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

Persistence and bioaccumulation

CONCERN	REFERENCE
Not suspected to be bioaccumulative	Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Ecotoxicology

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

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.
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.
AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation.
NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
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.

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.

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