SALICYLIC ACID
Antiacne Agent; Antidandruff Agent; Corn/Callus/Wart Remover; Denaturant; Exfoliant;Fragrance Ingredient; Hair Conditioning Agent; Skin-Conditioning Agent - Miscellaneous; KERATOLYTIC; MASKING; PRESERVATIVE; SKIN CONDITIONING
SALICYLIC ACID may be an impurity the following product types:
sunscreen: SPF 15-30 (209)
sunscreen: SPF greater than 30 (200)
facial moisturizer/treatment (58)
sunscreen: moisturizer (40)
anti-aging (34)
baby sunscreen (25)
sunscreen: SPF less than 15 (13)
sunless tanning (12)
tanning oil (10)
lip balm (9)
Also listed as
BENZOIC ACID, 2-HYDROXY-; O-CARBOXYPHENOL; 2-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; O-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; PHENOL-2-CARBOXYLIC ACID; 2-HYDROXY- BENZOIC ACID; BENZOIC ACID, 2HYDROXY; 2-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; ACIDO O-IDROSSIBENZOICO (ITALIAN) ; ACIDO SALICILICO (ITALIAN) ; BENZOIC ACID, 2-HYDROXY-
Given the incomplete information made available by companies and the government, EWG provides additional information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature. The chart below indicates that research studies have found that exposure to this ingredient -- not the products containing it -- caused the indicated health effect(s) in the studies reviewed by Skin Deep researchers. Actual health risks, if any, will vary based on the level of exposure to the ingredient and individual susceptibility -- information not available in Skin Deep.
| This ingredient: | |
 | Cancer |
 | Developmental/reproductive toxicity |
| Violations, restrictions & warnings |
 | Allergies/immunotoxicity |
| Contamination concerns |
 | Other strong concerns for this ingredient: Multiple, additive exposure sources, Enhanced skin absorption |
| Other moderate concerns for this ingredient: Neurotoxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) |
| Lesser or emerging concerns for this ingredient: Ecotoxicology, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) |
|
See products containing SALICYLIC ACID See ingredients that may have SALICYLIC ACID as an impurity See products that may have SALICYLIC ACID as an impurity | |
About SALICYLIC ACID: See "Regulatory and Ingredient Use Information," regarding the labeling names f or U.S. OTC Drug Ingredients in Volume 1, Introduction, Part A.
SALICYLIC ACID has reported used in the following product types: acne treatment (447); facial cleanser (299); facial moisturizer/treatment (162); exfoliant/scrub (97); shampoo (89); anti-aging (78); foundation (63); toners/astringents (59); dandruff/scalp treatment (58); moisturizer (55)
Violations, restrictions & warnings
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics | Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients | |
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Japan - restricted for use in cosmetics (concentration limit) | Japan's Standards for Cosmetics | |
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Used in food or as an additive with limited or no toxicity information available | FDA Everything Added to Food | |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status |
Cancer
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Possible carcinogen | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| show more | ||
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Classified as a high human health priority | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| One or more animal studies show sense organ effects at very low doses | products for use around the eyes, mouth, or lips | RTECS®- BIOFAX Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, Inc 1971 |
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| show more | ||
Neurotoxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show brain and nervous system effects at low doses | RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya 1992 | |
| show more | ||
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Persistent or bioaccumulative and moderate to high toxicity concern in humans | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | Emerging PBTs from peer-reviewed literature |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at moderate doses | RTECS®- Prostaglandins 1973 | |
| show more | ||
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show skin irritation at moderate doses | RTECS®- BIOFAX Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, Inc 1971 |
Ecotoxicology
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Suspected to be an environmental toxin and be persistent or bioaccumulative | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| show more | ||
Enhanced skin absorption
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Penetration enhancer | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Data gaps
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| 4,320 studies on toxicity in PubMed see search results -> | PubMed |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| FDA Food Additive Status | SALICYLIC ACID | • miscellaneous • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued • Zero Tolerance - Residue in milk from dairy animals - CFR556.590 • Use - Comp of mastitis formulations - CFR526.820 |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | SALICYLIC ACID | • o |
| Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients | SALICYLIC ACID | •Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | SALICYLIC ACID | •Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications •Determined safe for use when formulated to avoid irritation •Safe when formulated to avoid increasing sun sensitivity or when directions for use include daily use of sun protection • • •Penetration enhancer - alters skin structure, allows other chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | SALICYLIC ACID | • There is reported use of the substance, but it has not yet been assigned for toxicology literature search. |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | BENZOIC ACID, 2-HYDROXY- | •This chemical was deemed a moderate human health priority and was flagged by CEPA for further attention. |
| Japan's Standards for Cosmetics | SALICYLIC ACID | •Japan - restricted for use in cosmetics (concentration limit) |
| Emerging PBTs from peer-reviewed literature | BENZOIC ACID, 2HYDROXY | •Persistent, bioaccumulative toxicant - Limited or emerging evidence in open scientific literature |
| Harvell, J, 1994 | 2-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | •Skin or sense organ toxicity hazards: suspected |
| RTECS®- "Abdernalden's Handbuch der Biologischen Arbeitsmethoden 1935 | SALICYLIC ACID | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rabbit LDLo) |
| RTECS®- "Handbook of Toxicology," 4 vols 1959 | SALICYLIC ACID | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica 1974 | SALICYLIC ACID | • reproductive - Musculoskeletal system (mouse TDLo) • reproductive - Post-implantation mortality (mouse TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1930 | SALICYLIC ACID | • cardiovascular - Change in rate (mouse LD60) • brain and nervous system - Muscle weakness (mouse LD60) |
| RTECS®- Biochemical Pharmacology 1973 | SALICYLIC ACID | • developmental - Other developmental abnormalities (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Post-implantation mortality (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- BIOFAX Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, Inc 1971 | SALICYLIC ACID | • brain and nervous system - Muscle weakness (rat LD50) • sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit ) • skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit ) • brain and nervous system - Somnolence (general depressed activity) (rat LD50) |
| RTECS®- Drugs in Japan (Ethical Drugs) 1982 | SALICYLIC ACID | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rabbit LD50) |
| RTECS®- Gendai no Rinsho 1969 | SALICYLIC ACID | • respiratory - Respiratory depression (mouse LD50) • brain and nervous system - Somnolence (general depressed activity) (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya 1992 | SALICYLIC ACID | • metabolic - Body temperature decrease (rat LD50) • brain and nervous system - Somnolence (general depressed activity) (rat LD50) • brain and nervous system - Tremor (rat LD50) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Nihon University School of Dentistry 1992 | SALICYLIC ACID | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (Salmonella typhimurium ) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA repair (Bacillus subtilis ) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Nihon University School of Dentistry 1992 | SALICYLIC ACID | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (Salmonella typhimurium ) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA repair (Bacillus subtilis ) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1977 | SALICYLIC ACID | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA Inhibition (mouse orl) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1979 | SALICYLIC ACID | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1977 | SALICYLIC ACID | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA Inhibition (mouse orl) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1979 | SALICYLIC ACID | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) |
| RTECS®- Postgraduate Medical Journal 1994 | SALICYLIC ACID | • sense organ - Change in acuity (woman TDLo) • metabolic - Body temperature increase (woman TDLo) • cardiovascular - Pulse rate increase without fall in BP (woman TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Prostaglandins 1973 | SALICYLIC ACID | • reproductive - Parturition (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Senten Ijo 1973 | SALICYLIC ACID | • reproductive - Central nervous system (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Litter size (rat TDLo) • developmental - Musculoskeletal system (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Post-implantation mortality (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Uterus, cervix, vagina (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi 1973 | SALICYLIC ACID | • reproductive - Extra-embryonic structures (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Fetotoxicity (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Yakugaku Zasshi 1971 | SALICYLIC ACID | • brain and nervous system - Convulsions or effect on seizure threshold (mouse LD50) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| FDA Food Additive Status | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006. |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation. |
| Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients | Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007. |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| Japan's Standards for Cosmetics | Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. 2006. Standards for Cosmetics. Evaluation and Licensing Division. Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau. |
| Emerging PBTs from peer-reviewed literature | Emerging PBTs from peer-reviewed literature |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | Harvell, J., M. Bason and H. Maibach. Contact Urticaria and its Mechanisms. Food Chemistry and Toxicology 32(2): 103-112. 1994. (Table 2: Substances identified as capable of causing contact urticaria)., National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. See Environmental Defense's Suspect Hazard Identification documentation. |
| RTECS®- "Abdernalden's Handbuch der Biologischen Arbeitsmethoden 1935 | RTECS®- "Abdernalden's Handbuch der Biologischen Arbeitsmethoden." (Leipzig, Ger. Dem. Rep.) 4,1392,1935 |
| RTECS®- "Handbook of Toxicology," 4 vols 1959 | RTECS®- "Handbook of Toxicology," 4 vols., Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Co., 1956-59 5,148,1959 |
| RTECS®- Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica 1974 | RTECS®- Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica. (Copenhagen, Denmark) V.1-59, 1945-86. For publisher information, see PHTOEH 35,107,1974 |
| RTECS®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1930 | RTECS®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie. (Heymans Institute of Pharmacology, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium) V.4- 1898- 38,9,1930 |
| RTECS®- Biochemical Pharmacology 1973 | RTECS®- Biochemical Pharmacology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.1- 1958- 22,407,1973 |
| RTECS®- BIOFAX Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, Inc 1971 | RTECS®- BIOFAX Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, Inc., Data Sheets. (1810 Frontage Rd., Northbrook, IL 60062) 21-3/1971 |
| RTECS®- Drugs in Japan (Ethical Drugs) 1982 | RTECS®- Drugs in Japan (Ethical Drugs). (Yakugyo Jiho Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) 6,291,1982 |
| RTECS®- Gendai no Rinsho 1969 | RTECS®- Gendai no Rinsho. (Tokyo, Japan) V.1-10, 1967-76(?). 3,675,1969 |
| RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya 1992 | RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya. For English translation, see HYSAAV. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095 Moscow, USSR) V.1- 1936- 57(7-8),31,1992 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Nihon University School of Dentistry 1992 | RTECS®- Journal of Nihon University School of Dentistry. (Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Surugadai, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101, Japan) V.1- 1958- 34,183,1992 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Nihon University School of Dentistry 1992 | RTECS®- Journal of Nihon University School of Dentistry. (Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Surugadai, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101, Japan) V.1- 34,183,1992 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1977 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 46,305,1977 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1979 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 60,291,1979 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1977 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- -1964 46,305,1977 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1979 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- -1964 60,291,1979 |
| RTECS®- Postgraduate Medical Journal 1994 | RTECS®- Postgraduate Medical Journal. (Blackwell Scientific Pub. Ltd., POB 88, Oxford, UK) V.1- -1925 70,146,1994 |
| RTECS®- Prostaglandins 1973 | RTECS®- Prostaglandins. (Geron-X, Inc., P.O. Box 1108, Los Altos, CA 94022) V.1- 1972- 4,93,1973 |
| RTECS®- Senten Ijo 1973 | RTECS®- Senten Ijo. Congenital Anomalies. (Nippon Senten Ijo Gakkai, c/o Kinki Daigaku Igakubu Kaibagaku Kyoshitsu, 380 Nishiyama, Sayama-cho, Mirami-Kawachi-gun, Osaka-fu, Japan) V.1-26, 1960-86. For publisher information, see CGANE7. 13,73,1973 |
| RTECS®- Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi 1973 | RTECS®- Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi. Food Hygiene Journal. (Nippon Shokuhin Eisei Gakkai c/o Shokuhin Eisei Senta, 2-6-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, Japan) V.1- 1960- 14,549,1973 |
| RTECS®- Yakugaku Zasshi 1971 | RTECS®- Yakugaku Zasshi. Journal of Pharmacy. (Nippon Yakugakkai, 2-12-15 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, Japan) No.1- 1881- 91,550,1971 |
"RTECS®" is a United States trademark owned and licensed under authority of the U.S. Government, by and through MDL Information Systems, Inc.
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