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HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED™

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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lipstick152 products
lip gloss104 products
foundation86 products
shampoo78 products
conditioner72 products
facial moisturizer/treatment71 products
eye shadow67 products
exfoliant/scrub66 products
bronzer/highlighter60 products
hair styling aide50 products
moisturizer49 products
facial cleanser49 products
hair treatment/serum49 products
eye liner48 products
mask39 products
body wash/cleanser38 products
mascara33 products
serums & essences31 products
styling gel/lotion29 products
around-eye cream29 products
blush26 products
liquid hand soap17 products
nail polish15 products
brow liner13 products
facial powder13 products
makeup primer13 products
daily use with SPF13 products
lip balm12 products
makeup remover11 products
recreational sunscreen11 products
toners/astringents10 products
lip liner9 products
hand cream9 products
hair spray9 products
concealer9 products
toothpaste8 products
setting powder/spray8 products
after shave7 products
body firming lotion7 products
7 products
styling mousse/foam6 products
baby toothpaste6 products
antiperspirant/deodorant6 products
baby shampoo5 products
anti-aging5 products
bubble bath5 products
after sun product4 products
bar soap4 products
hand sanitizer4 products
baby lotion4 products
shaving cream4 products
detangler4 products
shaving cream (men's)4 products
hair color and bleaching4 products
baby wipes4 products
sunless tanning3 products
glitter3 products
BB cream3 products
baby soap3 products
lip balm with SPF2 products
facial cleansing wipes2 products
muscle/joint soreness1 products
foot moisturizer1 products
skin fading/lightener1 products
other eye makeup1 products
bath oil/salts/soak1 products
beard care1 products
beard cleanser1 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)1 products
body spray1 products
lip plumper1 products
body cleansing wipes1 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

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

Ecotoxicology

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

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

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
  • 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
WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH

A product’s hazard score is not an average of the ingredients’ hazard scores. It is calculated using a weight-of-evidence approach that factors in all of the hazards or health impacts associated with the ingredients.

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
NONE

Ingredients have not been assessed.

LIMITED-FAIR

There is only a modest volume of research.

GOOD-ROBUST

Ingredients have been studied extensively.

Can’t find your product?

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