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

Data Availability:

Limited

Face Theory BHA Exfoliating Serum S3

Face Theory BHA Exfoliating Serum S3

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CATEGORY

Serums & Essences

BRAND

Facetheory

DATA LAST UPDATED

July 2021

Ingredient concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • MODERATE
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • LOW
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • HIGH
    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: AQUA
Data Availability: Robust
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FUNCTION(S) solvent
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Ingredient score: 02
PROPANEDIOL
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) solvent, viscosity decreasing agent, viscosity controlling
CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Enhanced skin absorption
• Endocrine disruption (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)
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Ingredient score: 05
BUTYLOCTYL SALICYLATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, solvent, hair conditioning, skin conditioning
CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Enhanced skin absorption
• Use restrictions (high)
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Ingredient score: 01
CARNITINE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) antistatic agent, hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous;surfactant - cleansing agent, surfactant - foam booster, viscosity increasing agent - aqueous, antistatic, cleansing, foam boosting, hair conditioning, skin conditioning, surfactant, viscosity controlling
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
POLYGLYCERYL-6 STEARATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - emollient, surfactant - emulsifying agent, emollient
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (low)
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Ingredient score: 03
SALICYLIC ACID
Data Availability: Good
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FUNCTION(S) antiacne agent, antidandruff agent, corn/callus/wart remover, denaturant, exfoliant;fragrance ingredient, hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, antidandruff, hair conditioning, keratolytic, masking, preservative, skin conditioning
CONCERNS • Enhanced skin absorption
• Use restrictions (moderate)
• Multiple, additive exposure sources (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 02
GLYCERIN
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)
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Ingredient score: 01
POLYGLYCERYL 4 OLEATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - emollient, surfactant - emulsifying agent, emollient, emulsifying
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (low)
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Ingredient score: 02
TOCOPHEROL
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant, fragrance ingredient, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous;skin-conditioning agent - occlusive, skin conditioning
CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Endocrine disruption (low)
• Contamination concerns (HYDROQUINONE)
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Ingredient score: 01
CETYL HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) emulsion stabilizer, viscosity increasing agent - aqueous, emulsion stabilising, film forming, viscosity controlling
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Ingredient score: 01
GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - emollient, surfactant - emulsifying agent, emollient, emulsifying
CONCERNS • Enhanced skin absorption
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Ingredient score: 01
SODIUM ANISATE
Data Availability: None
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Ingredient score: 01
SODIUM LEVULINATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, skin conditioning
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Ingredient score: 01
POLYGLYCERYL-6 BEHENATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) emulsion stabilizer, slip modifier, surface modifier, emulsion stabilising
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
XANTHAN GUM
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) binder, emulsion stabilizer, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, surfactant -emulsifying agent, viscosity increasing agent - aqueous, binding, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, gel forming, skin conditioning, surfactant, viscosity controlling
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Ingredient score: 02
CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) FLOWER EXTRACT
Appeared as: CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (CHAMOMILE) FLOWER EXTRACT
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) fragrance ingredient, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, skin-conditioning agent -occlusive, perfuming
CONCERNS • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (low)
• Neurotoxicity (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
SODIUM HYALURONATE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, humectant, skin conditioning
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Ingredient score: 04
CAMELLIA SINENSIS (GREEN TEA) LEAF EXTRACT
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant, fragrance ingredient, oral care agent, skin-conditioning agent -miscellaneous, ultraviolet light absorber, antimicrobial, astringent, emollient, humectant, masking, oral care, skin conditioning, skin protecting, tonic, uv absorber
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate)
• Use restrictions (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 01
ALOE BARBADENSIS (ALOE VERA) LEAF JUICE
Data Availability: Limited
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CONCERNS • Cancer (moderate)
• Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (low)
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Ingredients from packaging:

Aqua, Propanediol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Carnitine, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Tocopherol, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Levulinate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Xanthan Gum, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice.

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.


Unknown

Leading international certifiers PETA and Leaping Bunny have no information concerning this company’s use of animal testing.

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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