POLYETHYLENE
Abrasive; Adhesive; Binder; Bulking Agent; Emulsion Stabilizer; Film Former; Oral CareAgent; Viscosity Increasing Agent - Nonaqueous; FILM FORMING; VISCOSITY CONTROLLING
Also listed as
ETHENE, HOMOPOLYMER; HIGH MELTING POINT POLYETHYLENE POWDER; POLYETHYLENE POWDER; POLYETHYLENE WAX; HOMOPOLYMER ETHENE; ETHYLENE POLYMER; POLYETHYLENE; 2100 GP; 23F203; 6020P; A 60-20R; A 60-70R
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 - ETHYLENE OXIDE, 1,4-DIOXANE |
| Other moderate concerns for this ingredient: Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) |
| Lesser or emerging concerns for this ingredient: Neurotoxicity, Data gaps, Biochemical or cellular level changes |
|
See products containing POLYETHYLENE | |
About POLYETHYLENE: Polyethylene is a polymer of ethylene monomers that conforms generally to the formula:
POLYETHYLENE has reported used in the following product types: lipstick (232); mascara (133); foundation (123); sunscreen: makeup (112); eye shadow (112); lip gloss (106); eye liner (103); exfoliant/scrub (84); facial cleanser (66); blush (65)
Violations, restrictions & warnings
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin | products for use on damaged skin | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Human immune system toxicant - moderate evidence | National Library of Medicine HazMap | |
| show more | ||
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Possible human immune system toxicant | National Library of Medicine HazMap | |
| show more | ||
Cancer
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show tumor formation at moderate doses | RTECS®- Cancer Research 1955 | |
| show more | ||
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Human irritant - strong evidence | products for use around the eyes, on the skin, or may be aerosolized (airborne) | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Neurotoxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show brain and nervous system effects at high doses | RTECS®- Toksikologiya Novykh Promyshlennykh Khimicheskikh Veshchestv 1975 |
Biochemical or cellular level changes
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show biochemical changes at high doses where the human health implications are not yet well understood | RTECS®- Toksikologiya Novykh Promyshlennykh Khimicheskikh Veshchestv 1963 |
Data gaps
| type of concern | product conditions | 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 product | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | |
| Considered safe based on assumption of low absorption | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | |
| Missing safety data noted by cosmetic industry review | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status | |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List |
Ecotoxicology
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| FDA Food Additive Status | POLYETHYLENE | • Used in animal feed • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued • 0.5 lb per head per day for 6 days - As roughage replacement in feedlot rations for cattle -573.780 |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | SYNTHETIC WAX | •Safe as used in cosmetics according to industry panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) •Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product • |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | POLYETHYLENE | •Safe as used in cosmetics according to industry panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) •Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product •Irritation (eyes, skin, or lungs) •Determined safe for use in cosmetics based on assumption of low absorption through skin •May contain harmful impurities |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | POLYETHYLENE (M W 2,000-21,000) | • Fully up-to-date toxicology information has been sought. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | POLYETHYLENE (HEATED) | •Asthma - Reversible bronchoconstriction (narrowing of bronchioles) initiated by the inhalation of irritating or allergenic agents: Yes; |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | POLYETHYLENE | •IARC Group 3 (no cancer link) |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | POLYETHYLENE | •Industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) notes missing safety data in its review of this ingredient |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | ETHENE, HOMOPOLYMER | •This chemical was deemed a low human health priority and was NOT flagged by CEPA for further attention. The chemical was flagged for suspected persistence. |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | POLYETHYLENE, UNHEATED | • o |
| FDA Food Additive Status | POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL | • Food additive: boiler compound • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued • Food additive: must be in accordance with good manufacturing practices, or sufficient for purpose; or in quantity not greater than required • In boiler water -173.310 • Food additive: antifoaming (or defoaming) agent • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued • Food additive: must be in accordance with good manufacturing practices, or sufficient for purpose; or in quantity not greater than required • Comp of defoaming agent -173.340 • CTG • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued • Food additive: must be in accordance with good manufacturing practices, or sufficient for purpose; or in quantity not greater than required • Ctg on fresh citrus fruits -172.210 |
| FDA Food Additive Status | POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL | • miscellaneous • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued • Food additive: must be in accordance with good manufacturing practices, or sufficient for purpose; or in quantity not greater than required • Ctg • binder • plasticizing agent • and/or lubricant in tablets used for food • Adjuvant in nonnutritive sweeteners • vitamin and mineral preparations • Ctg for sodium nitrite to inhibit hygroscopic properties - CFR172.820 • ZERO - In milk - CFR172.820; 526.820 |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | PEG-6 | •Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications •Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin •May contain harmful impurities |
| CIR | PEG-6 | •Ethylene oxide |
| Harvell, J, 1994 | POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL | •Skin or sense organ toxicity hazards: suspected |
| RTECS®- American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1966 | POLYETHYLENE | • cancer - Tumors at site of application (rat TD) |
| RTECS®- British Journal of Cancer 1969 | POLYETHYLENE | • cancer - blood tumor formations - equivocal (rat TD) • cancer - Tumors at site of application (rat TD) |
| RTECS®- Cancer Research 1955 | POLYETHYLENE | • cancer - Tumors at site of application (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 1972 | POLYETHYLENE | • cancer - Tumors at site of application (rat TD) |
| RTECS®- Toksikologiya Novykh Promyshlennykh Khimicheskikh Veshchestv 1975 | POLYETHYLENE | • sense organ - Change in sensation of smell (mouse LDLo) • brain and nervous system - Changes in motor activity (specific assay) (mouse LDLo) • brain and nervous system - Somnolence (general depressed activity) (mouse LDLo) |
| RTECS®- Toksikologiya Novykh Promyshlennykh Khimicheskikh Veshchestv 1963 | POLYETHYLENE | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LDLo) • blood - Changes in spleen (mouse TDLo) • kidney or renal system - Changes in tubules (including acute renal failure, acute tubular (mouse TDLo) • respiratory - Dyspnea (mouse LD) • biochemical - Other proteins (mouse TDLo) • respiratory - Respiratory depression (mouse LD) |
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. |
| 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. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents. |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99 (a total of 935 agents, mixtures and exposures). |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation. |
| Impurities - Open Scientific Literature | CIR |
| 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). |
| RTECS®- American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1966 | RTECS®- American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. (C.V. Mosby Co., 11830 Westline Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146) V.1- 1920- 96,134,1966 |
| RTECS®- British Journal of Cancer 1969 | RTECS®- British Journal of Cancer. (Macmillan Press Ltd., Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hants. RG21 2XS, UK) V.1- 1947- 23,401,1969 |
| RTECS®- Cancer Research 1955 | RTECS®- Cancer Research. (Public Ledger Building, Suit 816, 6th & Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19106) V.1- 1941- 15,333,1955 |
| RTECS®- Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 1972 | RTECS®- Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. (Lippincott/Harper, Journal Fulfillment Dept., 2350 Virginia Ave., Hagerstown, MD 21740) No.26- 1963- 88,223,1972 |
| RTECS®- Toksikologiya Novykh Promyshlennykh Khimicheskikh Veshchestv 1975 | RTECS®- Toksikologiya Novykh Promyshlennykh Khimicheskikh Veshchestv. Toxicology of New Industrial Chemical Substances. For English translation, see TNICS*. (Izdatel'stvo Meditsina, Moscow, USSR) No.1- 1961- 14,138,1975 |
| RTECS®- Toksikologiya Novykh Promyshlennykh Khimicheskikh Veshchestv 1963 | RTECS®- Toksikologiya Novykh Promyshlennykh Khimicheskikh Veshchestv. Toxicology of New Industrial Chemical Substances. For English translation, see TNICS*. (Izdatel'stvo Meditsina, Moscow, USSR) No.1- 1961- 5,136,1963 |
"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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