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SULISOBENZONE
Score:
Data: Fair
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Enhanced skin absorption, Endocrine disruption (low), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate)
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
| liquid hand soap | 35 products |
| shampoo | 25 products |
| body wash/cleanser | 18 products |
| conditioner | 11 products |
| facial cleanser | 8 products |
| facial moisturizer/treatment | 8 products |
| styling gel/lotion | 6 products |
| hand sanitizer | 6 products |
| hair styling aide | 6 products |
| mask | 5 products |
| toners/astringents | 5 products |
| hair treatment/serum | 5 products |
| serums & essences | 5 products |
| moisturizer | 4 products |
| hair spray | 4 products |
| after sun product | 4 products |
| bubble bath | 4 products |
| makeup primer | 3 products |
| bath oil/salts/soak | 2 products |
| exfoliant/scrub | 1 products |
| eye makeup remover | 1 products |
| fragrance for women | 1 products |
| hair color and bleaching | 1 products |
| makeup remover | 1 products |
| beard cleanser | 1 products |
| body spray | 1 products |
| body firming lotion | 1 products |
| bronzer/highlighter | 1 products |
Enhanced skin absorption
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Sulisobenzone increased penetration of 2,4D (a pesticide) by 48% and decreased lag time by 34% of controls. | Pont AR, Charron AR, Brand RM 2004. Active ingredients in sunscreens act as topical penetration enhancers for the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 195(3): 348-354. |
| Penetrated into skin. Less was recovered if the vehicle was an oil/water emulsion as opposed to an aqueous solution | {Couteau, 2001} |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | JACT 2(5):79-84, 1983 confirmed 09/02 IJT 24(S1):10-18, 2005 |
| Human skin toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | EWG Assessment of Open Scientific Literature |
| Benzophenone 4 (sulisobenzone) produced significantly more photoallergic contact dermatitis patch test reactions than the other UV filters that were tested over a 3 year period, and was the third most frequently sensitizer overall. | Hughes TM, Stone NM 2007. Benzophenone 4: an emerging allergen in cosmetics and toiletries? Contact Dermatitis 56(3): 153-156. |
| 2 of 82 patients examined exhibited photoallergic contact dermatitis reactions to benzophenone-4. | Rodriguez E, Valbuena MC, Rey M, Porras de Quintana L 2006. Causal agents of photoallergic contact dermatitis diagnosed in the national institute of dermatology of Colombia. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 22(4): 189-192. |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Human any irritant - strong evidence | JACT 2(5):79-84, 1983 confirmed 09/02 IJT 24(S1):10-18, 2005 |
| Irritation at 16% in 1 of 3 studies, no irritation or sensitization in 2 of 3 studies | {IBL, 1967; Kligman, 1976; IBL 1962} |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Irritation to cornea, conjunctiva (with 8% conc. and up) and/or iris (100% conc.) of albino rabbits in 3 out of 4 studies | {IBL, 1967; IBL, 1967; IBL 1962 ; ACC, 1959} |
| Slight toxicity with up to 10g/kg in 1 of 3 studies, no toxicity in 2 of 3 studies | {ACC, 1959; IBL, 1962} |
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Endocrine disruption
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Benzophenone-4 is weakly estrogenic in in vitro tests with rainbow trout estrogen receptor | Kunz PY, Galicia HF, Fent K 2006. Comparison of in vitro and in vivo estrogenic activity of UV filters in fish. Toxicol Sci 90(2): 349-361. |
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 | JACT 2(5):79-84, 1983 confirmed 09/02 IJT 24(S1):10-18, 2005 |
| 13180 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Cancer
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Nonmutagenic with and without S-9 activation | {CTFA, 1980; DHEW, 1978; Hill Top Research Labs, 1979; Litton Bioneics, 1979} |
Ecotoxicology
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Informational
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - any | JACT 2(5):79-84, 1983 confirmed 09/02 IJT 24(S1):10-18, 2005 |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Not suspected to be persistent | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data Sources
- Pont AR, Charron AR, Brand RM 2004. Active ingredients in sunscreens act as topical penetration enhancers for the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 195(3): 348-354.
- {Couteau, 2001}
- JACT 2(5):79-84, 1983 confirmed 09/02 IJT 24(S1):10-18, 2005
- EWG Assessment of Open Scientific Literature
- Hughes TM, Stone NM 2007. Benzophenone 4: an emerging allergen in cosmetics and toiletries? Contact Dermatitis 56(3): 153-156.
- Rodriguez E, Valbuena MC, Rey M, Porras de Quintana L 2006. Causal agents of photoallergic contact dermatitis diagnosed in the national institute of dermatology of Colombia. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 22(4): 189-192.
- {IBL, 1967; Kligman, 1976; IBL 1962}
- {IBL, 1967; IBL, 1967; IBL 1962 ; ACC, 1959}
- {ACC, 1959; IBL, 1962}
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- Kunz PY, Galicia HF, Fent K 2006. Comparison of in vitro and in vivo estrogenic activity of UV filters in fish. Toxicol Sci 90(2): 349-361.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
- {CTFA, 1980; DHEW, 1978; Hill Top Research Labs, 1979; Litton Bioneics, 1979}
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
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