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Data: Fair

Sorbic Acid

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)

SYNONYMS

● (E,E)- 2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID
● 1,3-PENTADIENE-1-CARBOXYLIC ACID
● 2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID
● 2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID, (2E,4E)-
● 2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID, (E,E)-
● 2,4HEXADIENOIC ACID, (E,E)
● HEXA-2,4-DIENOIC ACID
● SORBIC ACID

Restricted

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


Sorbic acid is a naturally occuring and synthetically produced 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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foundation130 products
lipstick129 products
eye shadow102 products
lip gloss98 products
exfoliant/scrub69 products
shampoo68 products
conditioner67 products
facial moisturizer/treatment66 products
bronzer/highlighter58 products
eye liner53 products
facial cleanser45 products
hair styling aide45 products
hair treatment/serum42 products
moisturizer41 products
mask37 products
serums & essences36 products
blush35 products
body wash/cleanser34 products
nail polish28 products
mascara28 products
around-eye cream26 products
styling gel/lotion22 products
concealer16 products
lip balm13 products
hair spray12 products
makeup primer12 products
daily use with SPF12 products
makeup remover11 products
setting powder/spray11 products
liquid hand soap11 products
toners/astringents10 products
recreational sunscreen10 products
toothpaste9 products
brow liner8 products
hand cream7 products
styling mousse/foam7 products
lip liner6 products
baby toothpaste6 products
hair color and bleaching6 products
anti-aging5 products
body firming lotion5 products
antiperspirant/deodorant5 products
lip plumper5 products
facial powder4 products
after sun product4 products
baby shampoo4 products
bar soap4 products
hand sanitizer4 products
baby lotion4 products
shaving cream (men's)4 products
baby wipes4 products
after shave3 products
sunless tanning3 products
BB cream3 products
detangler3 products
foot moisturizer2 products
shaving cream2 products
bath oil/salts/soak2 products
baby soap2 products
2 products
facial cleansing wipes2 products
skin fading/lightener1 products
other eye makeup1 products
damaged skin treatment1 products
bubble bath1 products
beard care1 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)1 products
body spray1 products
body cleansing wipes1 products
fragrance for men1 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
1223 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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