2: Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Propylene Carbonate

1987 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-51 ◽  

Propylene Carbonate is a nonviscous, clear liquid that is used in cosmetic products at concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 5%. Undiluted Propylene Carbonate produced minimal to moderate ocular irritation and slight erythema in rabbits. The dermal LD50 in rabbits of the undiluted ingredient was >20 ml/kg. Undiluted Propylene Carbonate was nontoxic by inhalation to dogs and guinea pigs in a 21-day study. Propylene Carbonate was negative for mutagenicity in the Ames Assay, and negative for genotoxicity in the Rat He-patocyte Primary Culture/DNA Repair Test. In clinical studies, undiluted Propylene Carbonate caused moderate skin irritation, whereas 5 and 10% Propylene Carbonate in aqueous solution produced no skin irritation or sensitization. Cosmetic products containing up to 20% Propylene Carbonate were essentially nonsensitizing and, at most, moderately irritating to human skin, nonphototoxic, and nonphotosensitizing. It is concluded that Propylene Carbonate is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use and concentration.

1987 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-277 ◽  

Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a detergent used in cosmetic products. A 12% solution of the ingredient was slightly toxic to rats in an acute oral study. No treatment-related effects of significance were noted in rats in a subchronic study at a dose of 75 mg/kg/day. Some effects were observed at 250 and 750 mg/kg/day. Minimal to slight ocular irritation occurred in rabbits when tested with 3.0% Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate. A diluted product tested at 1% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate was nonirritating to the genital mucosa of rabbits. No skin irritation, sensitization, or phototoxicity was noted in guinea pigs exposed to a cosmetic product containing 2% Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate. Cosmetic products containing up to 16% Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate were nonmutagenic in the Ames Salmonella/microsome assay, both with and without activation. In clinical studies, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate was a mild to strong skin irritant but not a sensitizer at concentrations up to 2.0%. The irritant effects are similar to those produced by other detergents, and the severity of the irritation appears to increase directly with concentration. It is concluded that Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is safe for use in cosmetic products in the present practices of use and concentration.


1987 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-162 ◽  

Panthenol is the alcohol analogue of Pantothenic Acid (vitamin B3). The LD50for D-Panthenol administered orally to mice was 15 g/kg. No toxicological effects were associated with the subchronic and/or chronic oral administration of Panthenol to rats. Minimal cutaneous hyperkeratosis was noted in rats in a subchronic dermal study of creams containing 0.2% Panthenol. In ocular irritation studies involving rabbits, concentrations up to 2% produced, at most, slight conjunctival redness and chemosis. Panthenol (100%) and products containing Panthenol (0.5% and 2%) administered to rabbits during skin irritation studies caused reactions ranging from no skin irritation to moderate-to-severe erythema and well-defined edema. Neither teratogenic nor fetotoxic effects were noted in the offspring when rats were fed calcium pantothenate prior to mating and throughout gestation. Skin irritation and sensitization studies of cosmetic products at concentrations up to 0.5% indicated that they were, at most, mild irritants but did not induce allergic sensitization. No test substance-related observations of eye irritation were reported for 23 subjects receiving instillations of products containing 0.1% Panthenol. Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity data were not available for the safety assessment of Panthenol. It is noted that the level of this ingredient required by humans exceeds the amount that could be absorbed from the low concentrations used in cosmetic products. The human metabolic requirement would preclude the likelihood of genotoxicity. It is concluded that Panthenol and Pantothenic Acid are safe as presently used in cosmetics.


1985 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 199-221 ◽  

Hydrolyzed Collagen is a hydrolysate derived from animal byproducts. It is used in cosmetic products as a conditioner or moisturizer at concentrations less than 5 percent. Hydrolyzed Collagen was practically nontoxic when administered orally or dermally in acute animal toxicity studies. This ingredient was minimally irritating to rabbit eyes when tested full-strength. Primary skin irritation tests in rabbits indicated that Hydrolyzed Collagen was nonirritating or minimally irritating when tested full-strength. Subchronic dermal studies on 2 cosmetic formulations containing 2 percent Hydrolyzed Collagen were negative for systemic toxicity. Hydrolyzed Collagen was nonsensitizing in guinea pigs. In clinical studies, Hydrolyzed Collagen produced no skin irritation, sensitization, or indication of phototoxicity. On the basis of the available animal and clinical data, it is concluded that Hydrolyzed Collagen is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use and concentration.


1990 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-107 ◽  

Cetyl Lactate and Myristyl Lactate are the esters of lactic acid and either cetyl or myristyl alcohol. They are used in a wide variety of cosmetic products up to a maximum concentration of 25%. The acute oral LD50 of Cetyl Lactate is estimated from studies with rats to be greater than 20 g/kg. Cetyl Lactate was shown to be minimally irritating to rabbit skin and nonirritating or only slightly irritating to rabbit eyes in Draize irritation tests. At 25%, Cetyl Lactate produced no signs of toxicity or irritation in a 30-day rabbit-skin irritation study. Cetyl Lactate was found to be minimally irritating and nonsensitizing to human skin at concentrations up to 5%. The acute oral LD50 of Myristyl Lactate is estimated from studies with rats to be greater than 20 g/kg. Myristyl Lactate was shown to be minimally irritating in Draize primary skin irritation tests, but one contradictory study concluded that undiluted Myristyl Lactate produced moderate irritation. It produced no signs of ocular irritation in Draize rabbit eye irritation tests. Mild irritation was elicited by a formulation in a modified Draize rabbit skin irritation test. The same formulation was found to be nonirritating and nonsensitizing in a human repeated insult patch study. Based on the available information, it is concluded that Cetyl Lactate and Myristyl Lactate are safe in the present practices of use.


1985 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  

Isostearyl Neopentanoate, the ester of Isostearyl Alcohol and Neopentanoic Acid, is used in cosmetic products as an emollient at concentrations up to 50 percent. The undiluted ingredient at doses up to 4 ml/kg was shown to be relatively non-toxic in short-and long-term feeding studies. Test data from animal and clinical studies indicate the undiluted ingredient is neither an irritant nor a sensitizer. A cosmetic formulation containing 16 percent Isostearyl Neopentanoate produced no phototoxicity and no photoallergenicity. Mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and teratogenicity data were not available. Isostearyl Neopentanoate was not considered to be a significant comedogenic agent. On the basis of available data, it is concluded that this ingredient is safe as a cosmetic ingredient in its present practices of use.


1987 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-120 ◽  

Toluene has a wide variety of noncosmetic applications. However, the cosmetic use is limited to nail products at concentrations up to 50%. Toluene was practically nontoxic when given orally to rats; acute oral LD50 values ranged from 2.6 g/kg to 7.5 g/kg. Results of animal studies indicated that undiluted Toluene is a skin irritant. No skin irritation or sensitization was observed in subjects treated with cosmetic products containing 31-33% Toluene. No phototoxic or photoallergic reactions were noted in subjects treated with 25% or 30% Toluene. The sole cosmetic use of Toluene is in products intended to be applied directly to the nail; therefore, human skin exposure to this ingredient will be minimal under conditions of cosmetic use. On the basis of the available data and the limited user skin exposure from cosmetic products containing Toluene, it is concluded that this ingredient is safe for cosmetic use at the present practices of use and concentration.


1983 ◽  
Vol 2 (7) ◽  
pp. 35-60 ◽  

Nonoxynols are chemically stable ethoxylated alkylphenols which are chemically foaming and solubilizing agents. Estimates of the acute oral LD50s of nine of the Nonoxynols (-2 to 15) range from 0.62 to 7.4 g/kg in several animal species. Acute dermal toxicity studies in rabbits produced an LD50 range of 1.8 ml/kg to 4.4 g/kg. Skin irritation tests on rabbits indicated that Nonoxynols are nonirritating to moderately irritating. Nonoxynol compounds with short ethoxylated chains are generally severe ocular irritants, whereas long-chained Nonoxynols are only slightly irritating to the rabbit eye. No evidence of carcinogenicity was observed when Nonoxynol-4 and 9 were fed to both dogs and rats. A mutagenicity study of these two compounds by the Ames test was negative. Undiluted Nonoxynol-4 and 9 were nonirritating and nonsensitizing in clinical studies. A 50% solution of Nonoxynol-15 and/or Nonoxynol-50 produced no irritation or sensitization when tested on 168 subjects, nor was there evidence of phototoxicity when tested on a subset of this population. It is concluded that Nonoxynols 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 30, 40, and 50 are safe as cosmetic ingredients.


1983 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 101-124 ◽  

Propylene Glycol Stearates (PGS) are a mixture of the mono- and diesters of triple-pressed stearic acid and propylene glycol and are used in a wide variety of cosmetic products. Studies with 14C-labeled PGS show that it is readily metabolized following ingestion. In rats, the acute oral LD50 has been shown to be approximately 25.8 g/kg. The raw ingredient produced no significant dermal toxicity, skin irritation, or eye irritation in acute tests with rabbits. Subchronic animal studies produced no evidence of oral or dermal toxicity. Propylene glycol monostea-rate was negative in in vitro microbial assays for mutagenicity. In clinical studies, PGS produced no significant skin irritation at concentrations up to 55% nor skin sensitization on formulations containing 2.5%. Photo-contact allergenicity tests on product formulations containing 1.5% PGS were negative. From the available information, it is concluded that Propylene Glycol Stearates are safe as cosmetic ingredients in the present practices of use.


1990 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-69 ◽  

Stearalkonium Chloride is a cationic quaternary ammonium salt used in cosmetic products at concentrations of ≤0.1 to 5%. It is used in cosmetics predominantly for its surfactant and antimicrobial properties. Studies have failed to establish with certainty the oral LD50 in rats of Stearalkonium Chloride, the value falling between 0.5 and 1.25 g/kg. In mice, an LD50 value of 0.760-0.113 g/kg was reported in a seven-day oral study. Single application dermal studies with concentrations of up to 25% have shown Stearalkonium Chloride to produce minor irritation in rabbits. Acute eye studies in rabbits have shown a 25% solution of the material to be a severe irritant. Concentrations of 1.25% and less are slightly and transiently irritating to the rabbit eye. A repeated insult patch test with a 1% aqueous solution of Stearalkonium Chloride on 50 subjects showed the material to be neither a primary irritant nor a sensitizer. A single 48-hour patch test with challenge two weeks later indicated that 20% Stearalkonium Chloride is not a sensitizer. On the basis of the evidence at hand, it is concluded that Stearalkonium Chloride is safe when incorporated in cosmetic products in concentrations similar to those presently marketed.


1993 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-236 ◽  

Acetamide MEA is used in cosmetics as a skin conditioning agent-humectant and hair conditioning agent. Oral LD50s of 27 g/kg were reported for Acetamide MEA in rats. No rabbits died following an acute dermal exposure of 20 ml/kg Acetamide MEA. In ocular irritation studies, 70% Acetamide MEA and cosmetic formulations containing 1.3% Acetamide MEA were classified as nonocular irritants in rabbits. Only mild skin irritation occurred following a 24-h skin exposure to undiluted Acetamide MEA. In the maximization test, Acetamide MEA was classified as a nonsensitizer in guinea pigs when tested at a concentration of 5.0%. Neither primary irritation nor sensitization reactions to 7.5% Acetamide MEA were observed in a human repeated insult patch test. Acetamide MEA was not nonmutagenic in the Ames assay. In the presence of nitrosating agents, Acetamide MEA may form N-nitroso compounds; acetamide may be a minor impurity in Acetamide MEA. On the basis of the data presented in this report, it is concluded that Acetamide MEA is safe as a cosmetic ingredient at concentrations not to exceed 7.5% in leave-on products and is safe in the present practice of use in rinse-off products. Cosmetic formulations containing Acetamide MEA should not contain nitrosating agents or significant amounts of free acetamide.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document