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HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Limited

Laureth 4

  • 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 there is potential contamination from toxic impurities. The score will be lower if used in products that meet EWG’s contamination restrictions.

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

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Other Concerns

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (moderate) and Contamination concerns (high)

SYNONYMS

● M445
● FATTY ALCOHOL POLYOXYETHYLENE ETHER(O-20)
● KS-00000Y05
● FT-0627728
● POLYOXYL 4 LAURYL ETHER, UNITED STATES PHARMACOPEIA (USP) REFERENCE STANDARD
● NCGC00159385-03
● TETRAETHYLENEN GLYCOL MONO-N-DODECYL ETHER
● FT-0710803
● NCGC00159385-02
● MCULE-2882952206

Restricted

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

Laureth-4 is a synthetic polymer composed of lauryl alcohol and PEG (polyethylene glycol). Due to the presence of PEG, this ingredient may contain potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane.

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

Expand content Collapse content
shampoo298 products
bath oil/salts/soak31 products
conditioner57 products
styling mousse/foam43 products
hair-loss treatment2 products
moisturizer45 products
eye liner9 products
anti-aging10 products
facial moisturizer/treatment43 products
shaving cream (men's)1 products
hand cream14 products
exfoliant/scrub18 products
serums & essences26 products
body wash/cleanser160 products
hair relaxer2 products
hair treatment/serum26 products
hair styling aid22 products
body firming lotion3 products
facial cleanser38 products
bubble bath19 products
hair color and bleaching73 products
foundation128 products
bronzer/highlighter42 products
liquid hand soap123 products
detangler9 products
hair spray24 products
lipstick69 products
after shave3 products
around-eye cream16 products
foot moisturizer5 products
styling gel/lotion14 products
mask7 products
body oil3 products
blush50 products
antiperspirant/deodorant10 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)3 products
bar soap3 products
baby soap12 products
baby shampoo7 products
baby lotion2 products
makeup primer2 products
Oils & Serums2 products
foot odor control1 products
baby bubble bath2 products
vapor rubs1 products
beard care3 products
beard cleanser4 products
eye shadow30 products
sunless tanning6 products
oil controller1 products
daily use with SPF28 products
mascara7 products
toners/astringents3 products
setting powder/spray8 products
glitter17 products
foot cleansing1 products
beard oil1 products
lip gloss1 products
Beard Soaps1 products
skin fading/lightener1 products
lip balm6 products
nail treatment1 products
Facial Cleansing Water1 products
Baby Bath Treatments, Tablets and Powders1 products
Putties, Puddings & Clays1 products
concealer14 products
Facial Sun Care1 products
lip plumper9 products
facial powder1 products

Contamination concerns

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Chemical
ETHYLENE OXIDE
1,4-DIOXANE

Data gaps

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Safety assessment was based on related chemicalCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Informational

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

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Human any irritant - strong evidenceCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
skin/eye/lung irritation - weight of evidence unknown/unassessedCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
  • Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

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.

Score legend
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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