Other Concerns
Use restrictions (high), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (high), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high), and Occupational hazards (high)SYNONYMS
Unacceptable
Unacceptable: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
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HIGHCancer
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LOWAllergies & Immunotoxicity
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MODERATEDevelopmental and Reproductive Toxicity
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HIGHUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
Cancer
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Known human carcinogen | Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens |
Known human carcinogen | NTP Report on Carcinogens, 11th Edition |
Possible human carcinogen | Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens |
Possible human carcinogen | NTP - Tumor Induction in Mammary Gland |
Limited evidence of carcinogenicity | NIOSH Occupational Carcinogens |
One or more human case studies show possible cancer findings | NTP - Tumor Induction in Mammary Gland |
Possible mutagen | Open scientific literature |
Cancer - limited evidence | Silent Spring's Mammary Carcinogens Reviews Database |
Use restrictions
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Violation of industry recommendations - Unsafe for use in cosmetics | Open scientific literature |
Violation of government restrictions - Banned or found unsafe for use in cosmetics | Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Known human respiratory toxicant | EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants |
Limited evidence of kidney toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs |
Classified as a low human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
any - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | Open scientific literature |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Classified as eye, lung, and skin irritant | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Human any irritant - strong evidence | Open scientific literature |
Limited evidence of any irritation | Open scientific literature |
Occupational hazards
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | Open scientific literature |
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to high doses | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Single case study detailing occupational hazards | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Possible human developmental toxicant | California EPA Proposition 65 |
Limited evidence of developmental toxicity | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Human immune and respiratory toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics |
Limited evidence of any toxicity or allergies | Open scientific literature |
Miscellaneous
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Occupational hazards related to handling | CPS&Q - Classification & Labelling |
Data gaps
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
8483 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 |
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 |
Neurotoxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
any - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | Open scientific literature |
- IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99 (a total of 935 agents, mixtures and exposures).
- NTP (National Toxicology Program). 2005. Report on Carcinogens, Eleventh Edition; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program.
- ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) 2008. ACGIH cancer classification system. www.acgih.org.
- NTP (National Toxicology Program) 2006. Chemicals Associated with Site-Specific Tumor Induction in Mammary Gland.
- NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). 2006. NIOSH Carcinogens List (Potential occupational carcinogens). http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npotocca.html.
- Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
- Rudel RA, KR Attfield, JN Schifano and JG Brody. Chemicals Causing Mammary Gland Tumors in Animals Signal New Directions for Epidemiology, Chemicals Testing, and Risk Assessment for Breast Cancer Prevention. CANCER Supplement. 2007 Jun 15;109(12):2635-2666.
- Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2005. Office of Air. The 112(b)1 Hazardous Air Pollutants List (as modified). Last modified: 12 Dec 2005.
- ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- 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). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- California EPA (California Environmental Protection Agency). 9/2008. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Chemicals known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
- AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation.
- 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 SCORESHazard 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.