EWG Skin Deep® | Equate Extra Strength Therapeutic Dandruff Shampoo Rating

EWG's Skin Deep®

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Data Availability:

Fair

Equate Extra Strength Therapeutic Dandruff Shampoo

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Ingredient concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

HIGH

Cancer
HIGH

Allergies & Immunotoxicity
MODERATE

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.

COAL TAR

Data Availability: Robust

FUNCTION(S)	antidandruff agent, cosmetic biocide, denaturant
CONCERNS	• Cancer (high) • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (moderate) • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate) • Use restrictions (high) • Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate) • Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (high) • Ecotoxicology (low) • Contamination concerns (BENZO[A]PYRENE)
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COAL TAR

Data Availability: Robust

FUNCTION(S)	antidandruff agent, cosmetic biocide, denaturant
CONCERNS	• Cancer (high) • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (moderate) • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate) • Use restrictions (high) • Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate) • Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (high) • Ecotoxicology (low) • Contamination concerns (BENZO[A]PYRENE)
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WATER

Data Availability: Robust

FUNCTION(S)	solvent
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SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE

Data Availability: Limited

FUNCTION(S)	cleansing, surfactant - cleansing agent, surfactant - emulsifying agent
CONCERNS	• Use restrictions (low) • Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate) • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate) • Contamination concerns (ETHYLENE OXIDE and 1,4-DIOXANE)
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COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE

Data Availability: Limited

FUNCTION(S)	antistatic, cleansing, foam boosting, hair conditioning, surfactant, viscosity controlling, antistatic agent, hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous;surfactant - cleansing agent, surfactant - foam booster, viscosity increasing agent - aqueous
CONCERNS	• Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate) • Use restrictions (high) • Contamination concerns (3-DIMETHYLAMINOPROPYLAMINE, COCAMIDOPROPYL DIMETHYLAMINE, and NITROSAMINES)
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COCAMIDE MEA

Data Availability: Limited

FUNCTION(S)	emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, foam boosting, surfactant, viscosity controlling, surfactant - foam booster, viscosity increasing agent - aqueous
CONCERNS	• Use restrictions (high) • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low) • Contamination concerns (NITROSAMINES)
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LAURETH-4

Data Availability: Limited

FUNCTION(S)	antistatic, emulsifying, masking, surfactant, surfactant - emulsifying agent
CONCERNS	• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate) • Contamination concerns (ETHYLENE OXIDE and 1,4-DIOXANE)
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BISHYDROXYETHYL DIHYDROXYPROPYL STEARAMINIUM CHLORIDE

Data Availability: None

FUNCTION(S)	antistatic, antistatic agent
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PEG-120 METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE

Data Availability: Fair

FUNCTION(S)	emulsifying, surfactant - cleansing agent
CONCERNS	• Contamination concerns (ETHYLENE OXIDE and 1,4-DIOXANE)
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DISODIUM EDTA

Data Availability: Limited

FUNCTION(S)	chelating, viscosity controlling, chelating agent
CONCERNS	• Enhanced skin absorption • Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate) • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)
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CITRIC ACID

Data Availability: Good

FUNCTION(S)	buffering, chelating, masking, chelating agent, fragrance ingredient, ph adjuster
CONCERNS	• Use restrictions (moderate)
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PHENOXYETHANOL

Data Availability: Good

FUNCTION(S)	preservative, fragrance ingredient
CONCERNS	• Allergies/immunotoxicity (low) • Use restrictions (moderate) • Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate) • Ecotoxicology (low) • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high) • Occupational hazards (high)
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FRAGRANCE

Data Availability: Fair

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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METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE

Data Availability: Limited

FUNCTION(S)	preservative
CONCERNS	• Cancer (low) • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low) • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate) • Use restrictions (high) • Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate) • Ecotoxicology (low) • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate)
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METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE

Data Availability: Good

FUNCTION(S)	preservative
CONCERNS	• Allergies/immunotoxicity (high) • Use restrictions (high) • Neurotoxicity (low) • Ecotoxicology (low) • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate)
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FD&C Red No. 40 (CI 16035)

Data Availability: Fair

FUNCTION(S)	colorant
CONCERNS	• Cancer (low) • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low) • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate) • Neurotoxicity (low) • Endocrine disruption (low) • Persistence and bioaccumulation (low) • Contamination concerns (MERCURY, 6-METHOXY-M-TOLUIDINE, ANILINE, and CADMIUM)
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CI 42090 (FD&C Blue No. 1 or D&C Blue No. 4)

Data Availability: Good

FUNCTION(S)	hair dyeing, colorant
CONCERNS	• Cancer (moderate) • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low) • Use restrictions (high) • Neurotoxicity (low) • Endocrine disruption (low) • Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate) • Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate) • Multiple, additive exposure sources (low) • Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate) • Contamination concerns (ANILINE and CADMIUM)
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FD&C Yellow No. 5 (CI 19140)

Data Availability: Good

FUNCTION(S)	colorant
CONCERNS	• Cancer (low) • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low) • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate) • Neurotoxicity (moderate) • Endocrine disruption (low) • Persistence and bioaccumulation (moderate) • Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate) • Contamination concerns (BIPHENYL-2-YLAMINE, CADMIUM, and 1-napthylamine)
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FD&C Yellow No. 6 (CI 15985)

Data Availability: Good

FUNCTION(S)	cosmetic colorant, colorant
CONCERNS	• Cancer (low) • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low) • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate) • Use restrictions (high) • Neurotoxicity (low) • Endocrine disruption (low) • Contamination concerns (CADMIUM)
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Ingredients from packaging:

Active Ingredients: Solubilized coal tar extract (coal tar, 1.0%) 4.0%; Inactive Ingredients: WATER, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, COCAMIDE MEA, LAURETH-4, POLYSORBATE 20, BIS-HYDROXYETHYL DIHYDROXYPROPYL STEARAMMONIUM CHLORIDE, PEG-120 METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE, DISODIUM EDTA, CITRIC ACID, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE, METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE, METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE, RED 40, BLUE 1, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6

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.

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