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

Linoleic Acid

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

Use restrictions (low), Multiple, additive exposure sources (low_moderate), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)

SYNONYMS

● NCGC00091049-06
● NCGC00091049-03
● NCGC00091049-07
● IDI1_033844
● 9-(Z), 12-(Z)-OCTADECADIENOIC ACID
● NCGC00091049-01
● NCGC00257024-01
● NCGC00091049-02
● LINOLEIC ACID, PHARMAGRADE, MANUFACTURED UNDER APPROPRIATE CONTROLS FOR USE AS A RAW MATERIAL IN PHARMA OR BIOPHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTION
● CIS-.DELTA.9,12-OCTADECADIENOIC ACID

Restricted

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

Linoleic acid is a naturally occurring unstaurated fatty acid.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

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

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

Expand content Collapse content
shampoo32 products
nail treatment1 products
styling gel/lotion4 products
conditioner46 products
hair relaxer2 products
hair treatment/serum34 products
hair styling aid7 products
facial moisturizer/treatment109 products
moisturizer46 products
after shave4 products
lip plumper2 products
mask24 products
eye shadow8 products
facial cleanser19 products
foundation6 products
mascara2 products
lipstick128 products
toners/astringents8 products
baby lotion2 products
lip balm15 products
serums & essences38 products
facial powder4 products
blush11 products
bar soap2 products
makeup primer3 products
eye liner1 products
baby oil1 products
body wash/cleanser9 products
around-eye cream44 products
anti-aging11 products
oil controller4 products
daily use with SPF3 products
exfoliant/scrub10 products
hand cream9 products
makeup remover4 products
concealer2 products
bronzer/highlighter7 products
body firming lotion12 products
diaper cream2 products
hair-loss treatment2 products
lip balm with SPF4 products
antiperspirant/deodorant1 products
hair spray1 products
lip gloss11 products
body oil3 products
other eye makeup1 products
styling mousse/foam1 products
Oils & Serums1 products
cuticle treatment1 products
detangler1 products
setting powder/spray1 products
Wipes1 products
recreational sunscreen1 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)
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
Suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
skin/eye/lung irritation - weight of evidence unknown/unassessedCosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

Allergies/immunotoxicity

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
immune system or allergies - weight of evidence unknown/unassessedCosmetic 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 - Determined safe for use when formulated to avoid irritation, in assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR)Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)
  • US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Environment Canada
  • Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

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
OSZAR »