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Score legend
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES LEARN MORE ABOUT EWG VERIFIED™
Product score: 05

Data Availability:

Limited

Sheamoisture Coconut & Hibiscus + Flaxseed Defining Styling Gel

Sheamoisture Coconut & Hibiscus + Flaxseed Defining Styling Gel

WHERE TO BUY

CATEGORY

Styling Gel/Lotion

BRAND

Shea Moisture

DATA LAST UPDATED

February 2022

Ingredient concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • HIGH
    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: WATER (EAU)
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: 03
POLYSORBATE-20
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) fragrance ingredient, surfactant - emulsifying agent, surfactant - solubilizing agent
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (low)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
• Contamination concerns (ETHYLENE OXIDE and 1,4-DIOXANE)
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Ingredient score: 01
CARBOMER
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) emulsion stabilizer, viscosity increasing agent - aqueous, emulsion stabilising, gel forming, viscosity controlling
CONCERNS • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER
Appeared as: BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER+ (SHEA)
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, skin-conditioning agent - occlusive, viscosityincreasing agent - nonaqueous, skin conditioning, viscosity controlling
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) fragrance ingredient, hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous;skin-conditioning agent - occlusive, emollient, hair conditioning, masking, skin conditioning, solvent
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Multiple, additive exposure sources (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
HIBISCUS ROSA-SINENSIS (CHINESE HIBISCUS) EXTRACT
Appeared as: HIBISCUS ROSA-SINENSIS FLOWER EXTRACT
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) not reported, skin conditioning, tonic
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Ingredient score: 01
AZADIRACHTA INDICA (NEEM) SEED OIL
Appeared as: MELIA AZADIRACHTA (NEEM) SEED OIL
Data Availability: Fair
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Ingredient score: 01
SILK POWDER
Appeared as: SILK POWDER (POUDRE DE SOIE)
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) bulking agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, slip modifier, antistatic, bulking, hair conditioning, skin conditioning, smoothing
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Ingredient score: 01
LINUM USITATISSIMUM (FLAX) OIL
Appeared as: LINUM USITATISSIMUM (FLAX) SEED OIL
Data Availability: Limited
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Ingredient score: 01
AZADIRACHTA INDICA FLOWER EXTRACT
Appeared as: MELIA AZADIRACHTA (NEEM) FLOWER EXTRACT
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) not reported, skin conditioning
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Ingredient score: 01
AZADIRACHTA INDICA LEAF EXTRACT
Appeared as: MELIA AZADIRACHTA (NEEM) LEAF EXTRACT
Data Availability: Limited
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CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Endocrine disruption (low)
• Ecotoxicology (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
CORALLINA OFFICINALIS EXTRACT
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) not reported, skin conditioning
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Ingredient score: 01
COCCINIA INDICA FRUIT EXTRACT
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) not reported, skin conditioning
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Ingredient score: 01
SODIUM POLYITACONATE
Data Availability: None
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Ingredient score: 01
BRASSICA CAMPESTRIS (RAPESEED) SEED OIL
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - occlusive, skin conditioning
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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)
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Ingredient score: 04
SODIUM HYDROXIDE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) denaturant, ph adjuster, buffering
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (high)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
BETAINE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) hair conditioning agent, humectant, skin-conditioning agent - humectant, antistatic, hair conditioning, skin conditioning, viscosity controlling
CONCERNS • Multiple, additive exposure sources (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 02
POTASSIUM SORBATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) fragrance ingredient, preservative
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
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Ingredient score: 04
PHENOXYETHANOL
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) fragrance ingredient, preservative
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)
• Occupational hazards (high)
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Ingredient score: 08
FRAGRANCE
Appeared as: FRAGRANCE (PARFUM)
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) deodorant, masking, perfuming
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (high)
• Endocrine disruption (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Ecotoxicology (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate)
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Ingredients from packaging:

WATER (EAU), PROPANEDIOL, POLYSORBATE 20, CARBOMER, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER*+, COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL, HIBISCUS ROSA-SINENSIS FLOWER EXTRACT, MELIA AZADIRACHTA (NEEM) SEED OIL, SILK POWDER (POUDRE DE SOIE), LINUM USITATISSIMUM (FLAX) SEED OIL, MELIA AZADIRACHTA (NEEM) FLOWER EXTRACT, MELIA AZADIRACHTA (NEEM) LEAF EXTRACT, CORALLINA OFFICINALIS EXTRACT, COCCINIA INDICA FRUIT EXTRACT, SODIUM POLYITACONATE, BRASSICA CAMPESTRIS (RAPESEED) SEED OIL, GLYCERIN (VEGETABLE), SODIUM HYDROXIDE, BETAINE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM)

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

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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