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HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES LEARN MORE ABOUT EWG VERIFIED™
Product score: 03

Data Availability:

Limited

Desert Essence Whitening Plus Mouthwash (2016 formulation)

Desert Essence Whitening Plus Mouthwash (2016 formulation)

WHERE TO BUY

CATEGORY

Mouthwash

BRAND

Desert Essence

DATA LAST UPDATED

September 2016

Ingredient concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • HIGH
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • LOW
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • MODERATE
    Use Restrictions

Ingredient scores

Ingredients are scored based on their formulation and concentration in this product. Click on an ingredient for more information.

Ingredient score: 01
WATER
Appeared as: WATER (AQUA)
Data Availability: Robust
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FUNCTION(S) solvent
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT
Ingredient score: 02
GLYCERIN
Appeared as: GLYCERIN (VEGETABLE)
Data Availability: Good
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FUNCTION(S) denaturant, fragrance ingredient, hair conditioning agent, humectant, oral care agent;oral health care drug, skin-conditioning agent - humectant, skin protectant, viscosity decreasing agent, perfuming, solvent
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (moderate)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT
Ingredient score: 03
POLYSORBATE-80
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) denaturant, fragrance ingredient, surfactant - emulsifying agent, surfactant - solubilizingagent, emulsifying, surfactant
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (low)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
• Contamination concerns (ETHYLENE OXIDE and 1,4-DIOXANE)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT
Ingredient score: 01
PHYLLOSTACHIS BAMBUSOIDES JUICE
Appeared as: PHYLLOSTACHIS BAMBUSOIDES JUICE (BAMBOO)
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, skin conditioning
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Ingredient score: 01
MENTHA SPICATA (SPEARMINT) OIL
Appeared as: MENTHA VIRIDIS (SPEARMINT) LEAF OIL
Data Availability: Limited
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CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (high)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT
Ingredient score: 01
EQUISETUM ARVENSE (HORSETAIL) LEAF EXTRACT
Appeared as: EQUISETUM ARVENSE LEAF EXTRACT (HORSETAIL)
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) not reported
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Ingredient score: 01
GAULTHERIA PROCUMBENS (WINTERGREEN) LEAF OIL
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) flavoring agent, fragrance ingredient
CONCERNS • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Multiple, additive exposure sources (low)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT
Ingredient score: 06
MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA (TEA TREE) LEAF OIL
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant, fragrance ingredient, perfuming
CONCERNS • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Allergies/immunotoxicity (high)
• Enhanced skin absorption
• Endocrine disruption (low)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 03
ZINC CITRATE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) cosmetic biocide, oral care agent
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (high)
• Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT
Ingredient score: 01
CALCIUM ASCORBATE
Appeared as: CALCIUM ASCORBATE (VITAMIN C)
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, skin conditioning
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Ingredient score: 01
ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C)
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant, fragrance ingredient, ph adjuster, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, buffering, masking, skin conditioning
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT
Ingredient score: 01
ALOE BARBADENSIS (ALOE VERA) LEAF JUICE
Appeared as: ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE
Data Availability: Limited
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CONCERNS • Cancer (moderate)
• Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (low)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT
Ingredient score: 02
PHYTIC ACID
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) chelating agent, oral care agent, chelating
CONCERNS • Endocrine disruption (low)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 02
CITRIC ACID
Data Availability: Good
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FUNCTION(S) chelating agent, fragrance ingredient, ph adjuster, buffering, chelating, masking
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 01
HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA (WITCH HAZEL) EXTRACT
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) cosmetic astringent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, astringent, hair conditioning, skin conditioning, soothing
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT
Ingredient score: 01
STEVIA REBAUDIANA (SWEETLEAF) EXTRACT
Appeared as: STEVIA REBAUDIANA LEAF/STEM POWDER
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) flavoring agent, masking
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INGREDIENT

Ingredients from packaging:

Water (Aqua), Glycerin (Vegetable), Polysorbate-80, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice (Bamboo), Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil , Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract (Horsetail), Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen) Leaf Oil, Eco-Harvest ® Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Zinc Citrate, Calcium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phytic Acid, Citric Acid , Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Powder

Directions from packaging:

Adults and children 6 years of age and older: use 1/2 oz of Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Whitening Plus Mouthwash and rinse to leave your mouth minty fresh

Warnings from packaging:

If irritation occurs, stop use of product.

Product's animal testing policies

Some cosmetics companies have taken People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Leaping Bunny animal-testing pledges. For consumers who are concerned about companies’ policies on animal testing, Skin Deep reports this information.


PETA Cruelty-free Companies

Companies that join the "Caring Consumer" program of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a leading international animal rights advocacy organization, attest that "neither they nor their ingredient suppliers conduct or commission any animal tests on ingredients, formulations or finished products, and that they pledge not to do so in the future."

LEARN MORE ON PETA.ORG

Leaping Bunny

Products bearing the Leaping Bunny mark are certified cruelty-free under the Humane Household Products Standard, managed in the U.S. and Canada by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, a coalition of eight national animal protection groups. Participating companies must open their processes to independent audits throughout the supply chain.

LEARN MORE ON LEAPINGBUNNY.ORG

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.

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