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: Fair

Sodium Benzoate

  • 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. The score will be lower if used in products that meet these safety guidelines and requirements.

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

Use restrictions (moderate)

SYNONYMS

● 3860-EP2289893A1
● 3860-EP2287160A1
● 3860-EP2295424A1
● 3860-EP2280009A1
● J-519752
● 3860-EP2295427A1
● 3860-EP2287154A1
● 3860-EP2292611A1
● 3860-EP2298735A1
● 3860-EP2295426A1

Restricted

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

Sodium benzoate is a preservative commonly used in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

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

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

Expand content Collapse content
moisturizer640 products
hand cream134 products
exfoliant/scrub334 products
facial moisturizer/treatment852 products
facial cleanser783 products
anti-aging99 products
around-eye cream265 products
serums & essences574 products
toothpaste140 products
mouthwash317 products
toners/astringents243 products
conditioner1576 products
hair treatment/serum582 products
after sun product41 products
skin fading/lightener10 products
shampoo2840 products
body wash/cleanser1988 products
baby wipes380 products
makeup remover169 products
styling gel/lotion149 products
styling mousse/foam96 products
hair spray108 products
after shave37 products
sunless tanning87 products
tanning oil5 products
hair styling aid361 products
mask524 products
foundation1095 products
concealer352 products
eye shadow85 products
eye liner98 products
hair color and bleaching152 products
antiperspirant/deodorant173 products
liquid hand soap832 products
muscle/joint soreness11 products
oil controller7 products
shaving cream67 products
body firming lotion126 products
mascara129 products
detangler82 products
hair relaxer3 products
baby shampoo207 products
baby soap158 products
baby bubble bath42 products
bubble bath115 products
eye makeup remover22 products
polish remover7 products
Hair Styling Gel14 products
tooth whitening16 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)20 products
setting powder/spray116 products
makeup primer133 products
Under Eye Concealers2 products
facial powder40 products
nail polish116 products
Bath and Body Wipes41 products
Wipes26 products
hand sanitizer30 products
foot moisturizer19 products
shaving cream (men's)15 products
BB cream46 products
beard cleanser24 products
brow liner113 products
Face Wipes8 products
blush40 products
body spray99 products
bronzer/highlighter85 products
fragrance for women13 products
lip balm39 products
bar soap43 products
glitter6 products
CC cream30 products
daily use with SPF238 products
cuticle treatment1 products
damaged skin treatment3 products
Other Hair Care Preparations6 products
bath oil/salts/soak122 products
recreational sunscreen41 products
baby lotion49 products
baby oil3 products
baby toothpaste9 products
body oil10 products
baby sunscreen6 products
Dry Shampoo and Hair Powders9 products
lipstick36 products
lip liner3 products
other eye makeup17 products
Oils & Serums37 products
diaper cream4 products
Baby Hair Conditioner2 products
beard care23 products
hair-loss treatment18 products
vapor rubs4 products
nail treatment14 products
beard oil2 products
body art2 products
foot cleansing6 products
foot odor control4 products
fragrance for men6 products
depilatory9 products
eyelash glue4 products
Exfoliants11 products
hair removal waxes1 products
Beard Soaps3 products
Eye Shadow Primers2 products
personal cleansing6 products
Facial Sun Care3 products
Beard Conditioners3 products
lip balm with SPF3 products
acne treatment3 products
lip gloss30 products
Facial Cleansing Water5 products
nail glue1 products
hair perm1 products
lubricant5 products
cradle cap treatment1 products
Fragrance Powder1 products
scar treatment1 products
lip plumper4 products
body powder2 products
Denture Care3 products
Preshave Preparations2 products
Lip Stain1 products
Flushable wipes1 products

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)

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)
Insufficient data to determine safetyEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)

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)

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
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada

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)
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Japan - restricted for use in cosmetics (concentration limit)Japan Ministry of Health

Cancer

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not likely to be carcinogenic in humansEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogenEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • Environment Canada
  • Japan Ministry of Health

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