Top Ingredients of Concern

From the Environmental Working Group

The ingredients of concern shown below are drawn from EWG's analysis of 6,923 ingredients contained in the 14,228 personal care products within Skin Deep's databases. Based on a comparison of these ingredients against chemicals listed in 37 toxicity and regulatory databases, EWG has developed a list of top ingredients of concern comprising known and probable carcinogens; known and probable reproductive and developmental toxins; and ingredients that are illegal for use in cosmetics in the U.S. or E.U., or that have been found unsafe for use in cosmetics by authoritive bodies.

	Ingredient	Top 3 Concerns	Number of Products	Ingredient Score (5 being worst)
1.	MERCURY	Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to FDA; Possible human carcinogen; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin	5	4.5
2.	THIMEROSAL	Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to FDA; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Possible human carcinogen	0	4.2
3.	LEAD ACETATE	Known human reproductive or developmental toxin; Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products	3	4.1
4.	FORMALDEHYDE	Known human carcinogen; Not safe for use if aerosolized, in aerosolized product; Skin sensitizer	8	3.8
5.	TOLUENE	Unsafe according to International Fragrance Association; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; May contain harmful impurities or breakdown products	37	3.6
6.	PETROLEUM DISTILLATES	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Possible human carcinogen; May contain harmful impurities or breakdown products	24	3.3
7.	ETHYLACRYLATE	Unsafe according to International Fragrance Association; Possible human carcinogen; Skin sensitizer	1	3.2
8.	COAL TAR	Known human carcinogen; Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; May contain harmful impurities or breakdown products	9	3.2
9.	DIBUTYL PHTHALATE	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Endocrine disruptor	89	3.0
10.	POTASSIUM DICHROMATE	Possible human carcinogen; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Skin sensitizer	1	2.9
11.	SELENIUM SULFIDE	Possible human carcinogen; Restricted in EU cosmetics (manufacturing/structural limits); Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards	5	2.3
12.	DIMETHYLAMINE	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards; Immunotoxicity hazards	5	2.3
13.	ZIRCONIUM SILICATE	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Restricted in EU cosmetics (manufacturing/structural limits)	1	2.1
14.	ACRYLAMIDE	Possible human carcinogen; May contain harmful impurities or breakdown products; Restricted in EU cosmetics (impurity limit)	3	1.9
15.	PHENYLPHENOL	Possible human carcinogen; Endocrine disruptor; Reproductive or developmental harm - limited evidence	1	1.8
16.	D&C BLUE 6	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Color additive - banned or not approved for use in food	2	1.8
17.	EXT D&C GREEN 1	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Color additive - banned or not approved for use in food	1	1.8
18.	EXT D&C RED 1	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Color additive - banned or not approved for use in food	7	1.8
19.	EXT D&C RED 3	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Color additive - banned or not approved for use in food	1	1.8
20.	HEXACHLOROPHENE	Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to FDA; Lung sensitizer used in products that may be inhaled; Reproductive or developmental harm - limited evidence	0	1.8
21.	FD&C RED 3	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Color not approved for use around eyes, in eye products; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel	3	1.7
22.	LIDOCAINE	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Kidney toxicity hazards; Neurotoxicity hazards	5	1.7
23.	HYDROXYANISOLE	Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to industry panel; Skin sensitizer; Skin or sense organ toxicity hazards	1	1.6
24.	BHA	Possible human carcinogen; Endocrine disruptor; Skin sensitizer	178	1.6
25.	LITHIUM CARBONATE	Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Skin or sense organ toxicity hazards; Cardiovascular or blood toxicity hazards	1	1.6
26.	DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Reproductive or developmental harm - limited evidence; Cardiovascular or blood toxicity hazards	1	1.5
27.	IODINE	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Endocrine disruptor; Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards	4	1.4
28.	PHENACETIN	Possible human carcinogen; Kidney toxicity hazards; Skin or sense organ toxicity hazards	2	1.4
29.	PHENOLPHTHALEIN	Possible human carcinogen; Kidney toxicity hazards; Cardiovascular or blood toxicity hazards	2	1.4
30.	PROGESTERONE	Possible human carcinogen; Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Endocrine disruptor	35	1.3
31.	ALUMINUM ZIRCONIUM TETRACHLOROHYDREX GLYCINE COMPLEX, ANHYDROUS	Unsafe for use in cosmetics according to FDA; Restricted in EU cosmetics (manufacturing/structural limits); Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel	23	1.2
32.	FERRIC AMMONIUM CITRATE	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Persistent and bioaccumulative; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel	1	1.1
33.	2- AMINO- 4- NITROPHENOL	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Cancer - limited evidence of carcinogenicity; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel	1	1.1
34.	BRUCINE	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Highly toxic; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel	1	1.0
35.	ACID BLUE 3	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel	1	0.9
36.	ACID YELLOW 3	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel	5	0.9
37.	PIGMENT BLUE 15	Color additive - banned or not approved for use in cosmetics; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; In other consumer products besides personal care products	3	0.9
38.	NAPHAZOLINE HYDROCHLORIDE	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; Not assessed by industry panel	4	0.9
39.	DIPHENHYDRAMINE HCL	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; Not assessed by industry panel	7	0.9
40.	TETRAHYDROZOLINE HYDROCHLORIDE	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; Not assessed by industry panel	4	0.9
41.	LIDOCAINE HCL	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; Not assessed by industry panel	2	0.9
42.	2- METHYLOXIRANE	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; Not assessed by industry panel	2	0.9
43.	PETROLEUM	Prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; In other consumer products besides personal care products	0	0.9
44.	HYDROABIETYL ALCOHOL	Unsafe according to International Fragrance Association; Assessed by CIR or IFRA	6	0.9
45.	LITSEA CITRATA (VERBENA) OIL	Unsafe according to International Fragrance Association; Assessed by CIR or IFRA	2	0.9
46.	HC BLUE 2	Possible human carcinogen; Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps; Safe for cosmetics use, according to industry safety panel	5	0.6
47.	DIETHANOLAMINE CETYL PHOSPHATE	Possible human reproductive or developmental toxin; Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel; Not assessed by industry panel	4	0.6