Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.
EWG Home EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning EWG’s Food Scores Healthy Living App Open menu

EWG's Skin Deep®
Find products and ingredients Learn how Skin Deep® works Meet our experts Discover EWG VERIFIED®
GET UPDATES DONATE
Score legend
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Good

Lecithin

  • 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 used in products that may not meet industry safety guidelines or U.S. and international government requirements and may have contamination concerns from toxic impurities. The score will be lower if used in products that do meet these safety guidelines and requirements and EWG’s contamination restrictions.

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

Use restrictions (low), Multiple, additive exposure sources (low_moderate), and Contamination concerns (high)

SYNONYMS

● DIMYRISTOYL-PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE
● DL-BETA,GAMMA-DIMYRISTOYL-ALPHA-LECITHIN
● DMPC
● 3,5,9-TRIOXA-4-PHOSPHATRICOSAN-1-AMINIUM,4-HYDROXY-N,N,N-TRIMETHYL-10-OXO-7-[(1-OXOTETRADECYL)OXY]-, INNER SALT, 4-OXIDE
● DL-DIMYRISTOYLPHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE
● 1,2-DITETRADECANOYL-RAC-GLYCEROL-3-PHOSPHOCHOLINE
● NCGC00181029-01
● 13699-48-4
● L-ALPHA-DIMYRISTOYLPHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE
● CHEBI:241349

Restricted

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

Lecithin is a naturally ocurring lipid found in both plants and animals. According to the PETA's Caring Consumer guide, lecithin for com mercial purposes is most commonly obtain from eggs and soybeans.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

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

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

Expand content Collapse content
hand cream60 products
moisturizer307 products
facial moisturizer/treatment424 products
facial cleanser115 products
styling gel/lotion12 products
conditioner119 products
around-eye cream156 products
anti-aging56 products
bar soap4 products
sunless tanning12 products
makeup primer63 products
foundation1249 products
mascara250 products
eye liner239 products
facial powder57 products
eye shadow242 products
bronzer/highlighter160 products
after shave8 products
shaving cream3 products
brow liner205 products
liquid hand soap12 products
body wash/cleanser60 products
lip balm97 products
after sun product5 products
body oil15 products
serums & essences303 products
lip liner153 products
toners/astringents22 products
shampoo93 products
nail treatment14 products
lip gloss115 products
shaving cream (men's)1 products
concealer592 products
hair styling aid20 products
hair treatment/serum62 products
hair color and bleaching28 products
Other Hair Care Preparations1 products
hair relaxer1 products
BB cream37 products
lipstick665 products
blush132 products
styling mousse/foam5 products
exfoliant/scrub52 products
body firming lotion42 products
nail polish3 products
antiperspirant/deodorant21 products
bath oil/salts/soak5 products
foot moisturizer12 products
setting powder/spray16 products
Oils & Serums6 products
mask177 products
daily use with SPF335 products
damaged skin treatment4 products
hair spray6 products
diaper cream6 products
recreational sunscreen76 products
baby shampoo9 products
baby soap10 products
baby bubble bath3 products
bubble bath1 products
baby toothpaste1 products
makeup remover9 products
baby lotion18 products
hair-loss treatment13 products
baby oil4 products
baby wipes2 products
toothpaste3 products
mouthwash2 products
depilatory3 products
oil controller2 products
Under Eye Concealers13 products
muscle/joint soreness5 products
fragrance for men1 products
beard care2 products
beard cleanser3 products
detangler3 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)1 products
skin fading/lightener6 products
baby sunscreen9 products
Exfoliants2 products
tanning oil1 products
foot odor control1 products
cuticle treatment4 products
Facial Sun Care1 products
lip balm with SPF24 products
foot cleansing1 products
CC cream4 products
body spray1 products
beard oil1 products
eye makeup remover1 products
lip plumper1 products
other eye makeup5 products
Facial Cleansing Water2 products
Face Wipes1 products
hair removal waxes1 products
exfoliant/scrub - large particle1 products
Massaging Preparations2 products

Contamination concerns

Expand content Collapse content
Chemical
NITROSAMINES

Enhanced skin absorption

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Penetration enhancerCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Data gaps

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN 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 productCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
Safety unknown for products that may be inhaledCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Use restrictions

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualificationsCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Distinction between safe conc in leave-on and rinse-offCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Multiple, additive exposure sources

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodUS. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Used in food or as an additive with limited or no toxicity information availableUS. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmfulEnvironment Canada
Classified as a low human health priorityEnvironment Canada

Persistence and bioaccumulation

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be persistentEnvironment Canada
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada

Ecotoxicology

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Uncertain environmental toxinEnvironment Canada

Allergies/immunotoxicity

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Human immune and respiratory toxicant or allergen - strong evidenceAssociation of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC)
One or more human case studies show possible [[system]] or allergenic effectsPeer Reviewed Literature

Developmental/reproductive toxicity

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
One or more animal studies show [[system]] effects at high dosesPeer Reviewed Literature
  • Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
  • US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Environment Canada
  • Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC)
  • Peer Reviewed Literature

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.

Can’t find your product?

Enter the ingredients in EWG’s Build Your Own Report tool to get an approximate score for that product.

BUILD YOUR OWN REPORT

News & updates

Big Market for Black Cosmetics, but Less-Hazardous Choices Limited
RESEARCH
Big Market for Black Cosmetics, but Less-Hazardous Choices Limited
K-Beauty Trends: Serums, Essences and EWG’s Best Bets
RESEARCH
K-Beauty Trends: Serums, Essences and EWG’s Best Bets
FDA Asks Women To Protect Themselves From Products The Agency Refused To Ban
NEWS RELEASE
FDA Asks Women To Protect Themselves From Products The Agency Refused To Ban
Study Highlights Importance of Cosmetics Ingredient Safety Tests
NEWS RELEASE
Study Highlights Importance of Cosmetics Ingredient Safety Tests
READ ALL ARTICLES
Skindeep Healthy Living App

EWG research
on the go

Find personal care, cleaning, and food products on the EWG Healthy Living app.

DOWNLOAD THE APP