MADE Banned List

Antibacterials + Antimicrobials

Synthetic antimicrobial agents are added to personal care and consumer products to kill or inhibit bacteria, fungi, or other microbes. Some, like triclosan, are regulated as pesticides by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and/or as drugs or cosmetics by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). In 2016 the FDA banned triclosan and 18 other antibacterial active ingredients from over-the-counter consumer antiseptic wash products because manufacturers did not demonstrate that they were safe for long-term daily use or more effective than plain soap and water. Typical examples include triclosan and triclocarban. While these are banned in consumer antibacterial hand soaps, they are still incorporated into various other household and personal care products used today. These chemicals are of concern because some, like triclosan, are linked to endocrine disruption, the rise of bacterial "superbugs," and environmental toxicity, amongst other adverse human health and environmental effects.

Artificial Colors + Dyes

Artificial colors are synthetic, petroleum-derived color additives, including Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) dyes, that are used to color foods, drugs, cosmetics, and other everyday products . Less well known is that, despite their widespread use, some may contain impurities including carcinogens and heavy metals, while others are linked to endocrine disruption.

A 2021 systematic review by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) found that the seven most widely used synthetic dyes (Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3) can cause or worsen neurobehavioral problems, such as hyperactivity, in some children. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked authorization for Red No. 3 in food and drugs in January 2025 after animal studies linked it to cancer, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the FDA, has announced plans to phase out remaining petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the food supply. Unlike other cosmetic ingredients, color additives must be pre-approved by the FDA prior to incorporation in consumer products under the FD&C Act. However, "natural" color additives derived from plant or mineral sources are generally excused from FDA certification. Although in compliance with purity specifications and use limitations, "natural" colors are not inspected for quality and safety prior to market roll-out. These ingredients may contain synthetic dyes or less expensive filler ingredients, as well as microbial contamination or chemical residues from pesticides or solvents.

Behavioral Toxicants

Behavioral toxicants are chemical substances that adversely affect behavior, cognition, mood, or neurodevelopment, typically by disrupting nervous system development or function during critical prenatal and early-childhood windows. Regulatory assessments evaluate sensory, cognitive, and motor function alongside effects on emotionality and social conduct. Examples include lead, which has been linked by the National Toxicology Program to attention-deficit/hyperactivity-related behavioral problems in children, and arsenic, which has been identified by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) as a top environmental health threat.

Bisphenols

Bisphenols are a family of chemically similar substances that are the structural components of plastic. There are more than 50 bisphenols in this class of industrial chemicals, with bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol E (BPE), and bisphenol F (BPF) among the most studied. They are used to manufacture polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins found in many plastic items with recycling codes #7 or #3.

BPA's chemical structure allows it to bind to the estrogen receptor, making it an endocrine disruptor capable of altering hormone activity even at low doses. Substitutes such as BPS and BPF show similar hormone-mimicking properties. Exposure has been linked to reproductive, developmental, and metabolic effects in research studies.

Carcinogens

Carcinogenic agents—whether chemical, physical, or biological—are capable of causing cancer by damaging DNA or disrupting normal cellular regulatory processes. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies agents by strength of evidence: Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans), Group 2A (probably carcinogenic), Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic), and Group 3 (not classifiable). Known human carcinogens include formaldehyde, benzene, and certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzo[a]pyrene.

Chemicals of High Concern

Chemicals of High Concern are substances identified by authoritative scientific, governmental, or regulatory bodies as presenting serious risks to human health or the environment. These may include chemicals associated with carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, reproductive or developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, or other significant hazards. Examples include substances listed under the European Union (EU)'s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) framework, as well as chemicals prioritized by US agencies, state programs, and other recognized international authorities.

Coal Tar Ingredients

Coal tar is a byproduct of coking coal that contains hundreds to thousands of compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as benzo[a]pyrene. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies coal tar and coal-tar pitch as Group 1 known human carcinogens based on sufficient evidence in humans, largely due to their Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) content. In cosmetics, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permits coal tar as an over-the-counter drug ingredient (0.5–5%) in anti-dandruff and anti-psoriasis products with required cautionary labeling, though it is banned from cosmetics in the European Union (EU).

Coal tar ingredients are also common in hair dye and other cosmetics. PPD, also known as phenylenediamine, 4-aminoaniline, p-diaminobenzene, 1,4-benzediamine, and 1,4-phenyl diamine, is one of many coal-tar colors derived from petroleum. Unlike most color additives, coal-tar dyes are exempt from needing FDA approval despite being associated with endocrine activity, as well as irritation of the skin, eye and lungs.

Developmental + Reproductive Toxicants

Developmental and reproductive toxicants are substances that can adversely affect reproductive health or the development of offspring. Reproductive effects may include impaired fertility, altered reproductive organs or hormone function, pregnancy complications, or effects on gestation, birth, and lactation. Developmental effects may result from exposure before conception, during pregnancy, or after birth and may include pregnancy loss, structural abnormalities, altered growth, or impaired neurological, behavioral, immune, or reproductive function. These substances may affect multiple stages of reproduction and development, rather than only fetal development during pregnancy.

Ecotoxic Surfactants

Ecotoxic surfactants are surface-active agents used as cleansers, emulsifiers, and foaming agents. Ecotoxicity concerns focus on their potential to harm aquatic organisms, including algae, crustaceans, and fish, combined with their rate of environmental biodegradation. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safer Choice program screens surfactants against combined criteria that require substances with higher aquatic toxicity to demonstrate faster, more complete biodegradation without concerning breakdown byproducts. Examples that raise concern include certain alkylphenol ethoxylates, such as nonylphenol ethoxylates, and some cationic or quaternary ammonium surfactants.

Endangered Species

This category refers to cosmetic and fragrance ingredients historically or currently derived from animals listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a global treaty ensuring that trade in wild plants and animals is legal, traceable, and biologically sustainable. Such trade is regulated through export permits and origin certificates. Classic examples include musk from musk deer, civet from African civets, and ambergris from sperm whales—ingredients that are increasingly replaced by synthetic substitutes.

Additionally, the International Union for Conservation (IUCN) maintains a Red List that functions as a global system for evaluating the extinction risk of plant, animal, and fungal species. Species are assigned conservation categories based on factors such as population size and trends, geographic range, habitat conditions, and known threats, making the Red List a particularly relevant source for determining whether a species is endangered.

Source: US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS)

Endocrine Disruptors (EDCs)

Endocrine disruptors are natural or synthetic chemicals that mimic, block, or otherwise interfere with the body's hormone system, potentially disrupting reproductive, developmental, neurological, and immune function in humans and wildlife. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program evaluates chemicals for potential interaction with estrogen, androgen, or thyroid hormone pathways across a universe of roughly 10,000 chemicals. Common examples include bisphenol A, phthalates, parabens, and certain pesticides such as atrazine.

Ethanolamine Ingredients

Monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), and triethanolamine (TEA), used in cosmetics as pH adjusters, surfactants, and emulsifiers. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel found them generally safe for brief, rinse-off use, but warned against their use in products containing nitrosating agents, since ethanolamines can react with certain preservatives to form carcinogenic nitrosamines.

The European Commission prohibits DEA in cosmetics. DEA has also been classified as a carcinogen by the California Environmental Protection Agency as well as possibly carcinogenic to humans with sufficient evidence in experimental animals by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers diethanolamine a hazardous pollutant and has listed the substance on the Toxics Release Inventory, a compilation of substances that pose a threat to human or environmental health.

Another concern with diethanolamine is its potential for contamination.

Source: CIR

Flame Retardants

Toxic flame retardants include chemicals, notably polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), that are added to plastics, foams, textiles, and electronics to reduce flammability. Because they are physically mixed into rather than chemically bound to them, PBDEs can leach into the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers certain congeners persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, with neurobehavioral effects as a critical human health concern, and "suggestive evidence" of carcinogenicity for decaBDE. Examples include pentaBDE, octaBDE, and decaBDE congeners.

Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Fragrance Ingredients

This category includes fragrance chemicals identified as skin sensitizers or allergens based on patch-test and clinical data. The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has identified dozens of fragrance allergens requiring mandatory labeling above specified concentration thresholds under the European Union (EU) Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009. 56 additional fragrance allergens were added to a list that previously included 26. Some fragrance substances become more potent allergens after chemical or metabolic transformation; examples include limonene, eugenol, and cinnamal.

Source: Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) / European Commission

Formaldehyde Releasers

Formaldehyde releasers are preservative compounds, also known as formaldehyde donors, that slowly release small amounts of formaldehyde over time to suppress microbial growth and extend shelf life. Formaldehyde is a recognized human carcinogen and skin sensitizer, so these preservatives are used at levels intended to remain low. However, some products have been found to release formaldehyde at levels comparable to a substantial fraction of the parent ingredient. Common examples include DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium-15, and sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.

Source: Cosmetic Ingredient Review and National Institutes of Health

Genotoxins

Genotoxins are agents that damage the genetic material (DNA) within a cell, either directly through chemical interaction with DNA or indirectly by interfering with repair or replication machinery, potentially leading to heritable mutations. Genotoxicity is broader than mutagenicity—all mutagens are genotoxic, but not all genotoxic substances cause heritable mutations. Unrepaired DNA damage is also a key mechanistic step in carcinogenesis. Examples of genotoxic chemicals include ethylene oxide, benzene, and certain PAHs.

Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)

Heavy Metals

"Heavy metals" is a term referring to metallic elements—most notably lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic—that are toxic even at low exposure levels and persist in the environment and human tissue through bioaccumulation. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) identifies these among its highest-priority toxic substances. They cause toxicity via mechanisms such as reactive oxygen species generation, enzyme inactivation, and oxidative stress, producing neurological, renal, cardiovascular, immunological, reproductive, and developmental harm. In cosmetics, heavy metals can appear as trace contaminants in colorants and talc-based products.

Source: ATSDR and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Isocyanates

Isocyanates are highly reactive chemicals used in producing polyurethane foams, coatings, and adhesives, and are powerful irritants to the eyes, skin, and respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classify isocyanates as respiratory sensitizers capable of causing occupational asthma, with sensitization possible at very low exposures via inhalation and dermal contact. OSHA has set permissible exposure limits based on irritation, sensitization, and carcinogenicity concerns.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / NIOSH

Isothiazolinone Preservatives

Isothiazolinones are synthetic preservatives and are common substitutes for banned triclosan in antibacterial hand soaps; however, these substances come with their own set of risks. Isothiazolinone preservatives are established skin sensitizers and irritants and have been linked to endocrine disruption and aquatic toxicity. In addition to hand soaps, they are found in various personal care products.

Other examples of these preservatives include methylisothiazolinone (MI) and methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) which are frequently used in cosmetics and household products to prevent microbial growth.

The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) found MI to be a significant contact allergen. MI was also named Allergen of the Year in 2013 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society. The SCCS concluded MI is not safe in leave-on cosmetics at concentrations up to 100 ppm, supporting only a lower 15 ppm limit in rinse-off products. The European cosmetics industry voluntarily removed MI from leave-on skin products in 2013.

Source: SCCS

Neurotoxicants

Neurotoxicants are chemical, biological, or physical agents that produce adverse effects on the structure or function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system, causing damage that may be reversible or permanent. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Guidelines for Neurotoxicity Risk Assessment provide a framework for determining neurotoxicity, although most commercial chemicals remain untested for neurotoxic potential. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is developing screening approaches that link environmental chemicals to neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative disease. Examples include lead, mercury, toluene, and n-hexane.

Parabens

Parabens are synthetic preservatives, including methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben, that are widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food to prevent microbial growth. They are classified as xenoestrogens with endocrine-disrupting activity and can bind to estrogen and androgen receptors and influence reproductive function. The United Nations (UN) Environment Programme has identified propyl- and butylparaben as endocrine-disrupting or potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Concerns center on cumulative, low-dose exposure from multiple personal care products over time.

Source: National Institutes of Health (NCBI)

Paraffin Oil, Paraffin Wax, Petrolatum + Liquid Paraffinum Ingredients

Paraffin oil, paraffin wax, petrolatum and liquid paraffinum are petroleum-derived occlusive and emollient ingredients, including mineral oil, petrolatum/petroleum jelly, and paraffin wax, that are widely used in skin and hair products. Their safety depends critically on the degree of refining: improperly refined petroleum-derived ingredients can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as probable or possible human carcinogens, whereas highly refined, purified grades ("white oils") used in US and European Union (EU) cosmetics may not always be considered a human health risk, although environmental issues may remain. EU regulations require a documented refining history confirming the source material is non-carcinogenic.

Source: IARC

Pesticides

Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management as pesticides that present particularly high acute or chronic hazards to human health or the environment. This determination may be based on internationally accepted classification systems including WHO classifications and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), binding agreements, or evidence that a pesticide causes severe or irreversible harm in actual use. Pesticide Action Network (PAN) compiles a consolidated HHP list drawing on classifications from WHO, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the European Union (EU), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the United Nations (UN) GHS. Examples include certain organophosphates and pesticides classified as carcinogenic, endocrine-disrupting, or highly toxic to pollinators and aquatic life.

Source: FOA and WHO

PFAS Compounds + Other Fluorinated Chemicals

Fluorinated chemicals are a broad group of substances that contain one or more carbon-fluorine bonds. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of fluorinated compounds (over 8,000 compounds) characterized by carbon-fluorine bonds that make them extremely persistent ("forever chemicals") in the environment and human body. Health effects associated with exposure include immune, reproductive, developmental, cardiovascular, hepatic, and endocrine effects, along with cancer risk for long-chain PFAS like PFOA and PFOS. PFAS and other fluorinated chemicals are used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, waterproof textiles, and firefighting foam, and appear in some cosmetics. Not all fluorinated chemicals are PFAS, and their health and environmental properties vary depending on their chemical structure and use.

Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) / National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Phthalates

Phthalates are chemicals used as plasticizers and solvents, including in fragrance formulations and nail polish (e.g., diethyl phthalate (DEP)), as well as industrial plastics (e.g. di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP)). Several phthalates cause reproductive and developmental toxicity in animal studies, including reduced testosterone and malformed reproductive organs. The European Commission has determined that sufficient evidence exists to conclude that DBP and DEHP cause endocrine disruption, and both are prohibited as cosmetic ingredients in the European Union (EU) and banned from children's toys in the US.

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), TEACH Chemical Summary

Poisonous Plants

Poisonous plants contain naturally occurring toxic compounds, such as cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, oxalates, that can cause harm through ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation. The severity depends on plant part, species, and route and amount of exposure. Plant-related toxic exposures account for roughly 3–5% of all calls to US poison control centers annually, representing over 100,000 cases, with nearly 80% involving children under age 6. Examples include oleander, which contains cardiac glycosides resembling digoxin, poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac which contain urushiol that can cause contact dermatitis.

Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information and America's Poison Centers

Polysorbates

Polysorbates are ethoxylated surfactants and emulsifiers (e.g., polysorbate 20, 60, 80) used in cosmetics to blend oil and water phases. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) concluded that polysorbates are safe as used when properly formulated to be non-irritating. However, like Polyethylene Glycol Compounds (PEGs), they can carry trace contaminants such as 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide from the ethoxylation manufacturing process; these contaminants may be addressed through steam-stripping purification.

Source: CIR

Polyethylene Glycol Compounds (PEGs)

Polyethylene Glycol Compounds (PEGs) are petroleum-based compounds formed through ethoxylation and widely used in cosmetics as emollients, emulsifiers, and vehicle ingredients. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) considers PEGs safe when properly purified, but flags concern over potential contamination with ethylene oxide, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies as a known human carcinogen, and 1,4-dioxane, which the National Toxicology Program classifies as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen." These manufacturing byproducts are not required to be listed on product labels. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors 1,4-dioxane levels in cosmetics.

Source: FDA

Siloxanes + Silanes

Siloxanes and silanes are silicon-based compounds. Cyclosiloxanes such as D4 (cyclotetrasiloxane), D5 (cyclopentasiloxane), and D6 (cyclohexasiloxane) are used in cosmetics and personal care products for their smooth texture and volatility. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has identified D4, D5, and D6 as persistent and very bioaccumulative substances capable of long-range environmental transport; D4 meets the full persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) criteria. The European Union (EU) adopted a restriction in 2024 on their use in leave-on cosmetic products, effective from June 2026, due to environmental concerns.

Source: ECHA

Solvents

Toxic solvents include certain organic solvents, such asaliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, ethers, ketones, chlorinated hydrocarbons, used to dissolve other substances in industrial and consumer products such as nail polish, paints, and adhesives. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recognizes many as carcinogens (e.g. benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and trichloroethylene), reproductive hazards (e.g. 2-ethoxyethanol), and neurotoxins (e.g. toluene and n-hexane), with effects from skin and eye irritation to central nervous system depression and organ damage. Toluene, which is common in nail products, has established occupational exposure limits.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) / NIOSH

Silver Compounds

Silver and its compounds, including colloidal and nanosilver forms, are used in cosmetics and consumer products for antimicrobial properties. Chronic exposure through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal absorption can cause argyria, a permanent blue-gray skin discoloration caused by silver deposition in tissue. High-dose ingestion of silver salts, such as silver nitrate, can cause corrosive gastrointestinal damage. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a secondary drinking-water limit for silver based on argyria risk.

Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and EPA

Synthetic Musks

Synthetic musks are man-made fragrance compounds, including polycyclic musks like galaxolide (HHCB) and tonalide (AHTN), as well as older nitro musks, that are used to impart musky scent in perfumes, detergents, and personal care products. These compounds are persistent and bioaccumulative and are frequently detected in aquatic environments, human adipose tissue, and breast milk. Nitro musk production was banned due to bioaccumulation concerns, and research has documented genotoxicity and oxidative stress in aquatic organisms exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of galaxolide and tonalide.

Source: Peer-reviewed toxicology literature (PubMed/NCBI)

Ultraviolet (UV) Blockers + Filters

Harmful Ultraviolet (UV) blockers and filters are chemical or physical (mineral) compounds used in sunscreens and other cosmetics to absorb or block UV radiation. Concerns focus on organic or chemical filters such as oxybenzone, which is readily absorbed through the skin and detectable in blood, urine, and breast milk after use, and has been investigated for endocrine-disrupting activity, including estrogenic and anti-androgenic effects. In 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed classifying 12 organic UV filters, including oxybenzone, octinoxate, and avobenzone, as needing additional safety and efficacy data.

Source: FDA

VOCs

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are organic chemicals that readily evaporate at room temperature. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines them roughly as compounds with boiling points between 50°C and 250°C. VOCs are commonly emitted from paints, cleaning supplies, personal care products, adhesives, and building materials. Indoor VOC concentrations are often up to ten times higher than outdoor concentrations, and prolonged exposure is associated with respiratory irritation, neurological effects, and increased chronic disease risk. VOCs can also react in air to form secondary pollutants like ozone. Examples relevant to cosmetics include toluene, formaldehyde, and various fragrance and solvent compounds.

Source: EPA