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HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Fair

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)

SYNONYMS

● ACMC-1ACPY
● AI3-19730
● BRN 1726730
● 12-HYDROXY-STEARIC ACID
● 78642-86-1
● POLYHYDROXYSTEARIC ACID (2300 MW)
● EINECS 253-004-1
● 12-HYDROXYSTEARIC ACID ESTOLIDE
● UNII-YXH47AOU0F
● (S)-12-HYDROXYOCTADECANOIC ACID

Restricted

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

Polyhydroxystearic Acid is a polymer of Hydroxystearic Acid (q.v.)

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

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

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

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bronzer/highlighter101 products
foundation576 products
makeup primer30 products
setting powder/spray21 products
daily use with SPF387 products
lip gloss174 products
facial moisturizer/treatment35 products
mascara29 products
eye liner111 products
brow liner167 products
lip liner79 products
BB cream52 products
hair styling aid27 products
lip balm143 products
moisturizer24 products
CC cream19 products
baby sunscreen79 products
recreational sunscreen380 products
tanning oil1 products
mask12 products
lip balm with SPF52 products
baby lotion8 products
around-eye cream35 products
lip plumper39 products
lipstick751 products
concealer412 products
hair treatment/serum7 products
other eye makeup2 products
Under Eye Concealers14 products
diaper cream5 products
blush173 products
styling gel/lotion6 products
beard care7 products
anti-aging6 products
eye shadow118 products
glitter3 products
fragrance for men1 products
facial cleanser7 products
Other Hair Care Preparations1 products
antiperspirant/deodorant16 products
hair color and bleaching17 products
serums & essences23 products
Facial Sun Care24 products
exfoliant/scrub9 products
damaged skin treatment1 products
makeup remover4 products
baby oil1 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)3 products
foot moisturizer2 products
body art1 products
body firming lotion6 products
shampoo1 products
hair removal waxes1 products
nail polish4 products
conditioner1 products
body oil1 products
hand cream1 products

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmfulEnvironment 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

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

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CONCERN REFERENCE
Limited evidence of skin irritationEuropean Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
Limited evidence of eye irritationEuropean Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
  • Environment Canada
  • European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

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.

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