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HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Limited

Sodium Sulfite

  • Products with this ingredient are allowed for use in EWG VERIFIED but must meet use restrictions and warnings based on EWG review of company data.
  • This ingredient's score is higher if used in product forms that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns. The score is lower if used in product forms that have lower risk of inhalation (e.g., solids, liquids)
  • This ingredient's score is higher if used in products that may not meet industry safety guidelines or U.S. and international government requirements. The score will be lower if used in products that meet these safety guidelines and requirements.

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

Use restrictions (high)

SYNONYMS

● SULFUROUS ACID, SODIUM SALT (1:2)
● UNII-VTK01UQK3G
● SULFTECH
● NA2SO3
● Q407806
● DISODIUM;SULFITE
● EXSICCATED SODIUM SULFITE
● MFCD00003503
● VTK01UQK3G
● SODIUM SULFITE [NF]

Restricted

Restricted: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation

Sodium sulfite is an inorganic sulfur-based salt used as a preservative.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

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

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

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hair color and bleaching541 products
body wash/cleanser26 products
shampoo52 products
facial moisturizer/treatment32 products
skin fading/lightener9 products
bubble bath12 products
brow liner1 products
mascara1 products
moisturizer6 products
serums & essences20 products
bath oil/salts/soak1 products
body firming lotion6 products
exfoliant/scrub4 products
styling mousse/foam3 products
mask7 products
sunless tanning1 products
conditioner14 products
makeup primer4 products
styling gel/lotion7 products
antiperspirant/deodorant4 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)1 products
facial cleanser7 products
bar soap1 products
foot moisturizer3 products
daily use with SPF2 products
hair treatment/serum9 products
makeup remover2 products
anti-aging2 products
toners/astringents4 products
after shave1 products
Hair Styling Gel3 products
around-eye cream10 products
hair spray2 products
detangler3 products
lip balm1 products
hair styling aid6 products
beard care1 products
lipstick1 products
beard cleanser1 products
bronzer/highlighter2 products

Multiple, additive exposure sources

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodUS Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Data gaps

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported 'as used' concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in productCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Informational

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - anyCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Use restrictions

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Violation of government restrictions - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - anyEU Cosmetics Directive

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmfulEnvironment Canada
Classified as a low human health priorityEnvironment Canada

Persistence and bioaccumulation

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada

Ecotoxicology

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada

Allergies/immunotoxicity

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Limited evidence of immune system toxicity or allergiesUS National Library of Medicine,
  • US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
  • EU Cosmetics Directive
  • Environment Canada
  • US National Library of Medicine,

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.

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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.

Can’t find your product?

Enter the ingredients in EWG’s Build Your Own Report tool to get an approximate score for that product.

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