POLYVINYL ACETATE || Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews

POLYVINYL ACETATE

Binder; Emulsion Stabilizer; Film Former; Hair Fixative; ANTISTATIC; BINDING; EMULSION STABILISING; FILM FORMING

SCORE

	5	moderate hazard
	91%	data gap
(why scores have changed)

Also listed as

ACETIC ACID, ETHENYL ESTER, HOMOPOLYMER; ACETYLATED POLYVINYL ALCOHOL; ETHENYL ACETATE, HOMOPOLYMER; POLYVINYL ACETATE EMULSION; POLYVINYL ACETATE SOLUTION; HOMOPOLYMER ACETIC ACID, ETHENYL ESTER; HOMOPOLYMER ETHENYL ACETATE; ETHENYL ESTER HOMOPOLYMER ACETIC ACID; ACETIC ACID ETHENYL ESTER, HOMOPOLYMER; 76 RES; ACETIC ACID ETHENYL ESTER HOMOPOLYMER (9CI)

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
	Restrictions & warnings
	Allergies/immunotoxicity
	Contamination concerns - ARSENIC, HEAVY METALS
	Other moderate concerns for this ingredient: Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
	See products containing POLYVINYL ACETATE

About POLYVINYL ACETATE: Polyvinyl Acetate is the homopolymer of Vinyl Acetate (q.v.) that conforms generally to theformula:

POLYVINYL ACETATE has reported used in the following product types: mascara (7); facial moisturizer/treatment (1); anti-aging (1)

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful		Environment Canada Domestic Substance List
Classified as medium human health priority		Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Cancer

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogen		Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens

Data gaps

type of concern	product conditions	reference
349 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results ->		PubMed

Ecotoxicology

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Not suspected to be an environmental toxin		Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

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		Environment 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	POLYVINYL ACETATE	• miscellaneous • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued • Comp of chewing gum base - CFR172.6l5 • Food additive: food additive for which a petition has been filed and a regulation issued • diluent for color additive mixtures for drug use exempt from certification - CFR73.1
Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments	POLYVINYL ACETATE	•Safe as used in cosmetics according to industry panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) •May contain harmful impurities •
FDA Everything Added to Food	POLYVINYL ACETATE	• Fully up-to-date toxicology information has been sought.
Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens	POLYVINYL ACETATE	•IARC Group 3 (no cancer link)
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List	ACETIC ACID ETHENYL ESTER, HOMOPOLYMER	•This chemical was deemed a moderate human health priority and was flagged by CEPA for further attention. The chemical was flagged for suspected persistence.

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.
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).
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List	EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.

"RTECS®" is a United States trademark owned and licensed under authority of the U.S. Government, by and through MDL Information Systems, Inc.