Formaldehyde
Severity 10/10preservative · also known as formalin, methanal
Is Formaldehyde safe?
Formaldehyde is prohibited in cosmetic products in the EU (CosIng Annex II), with documented concerns: cancer concern, allergy risk, irritation.
In plain language
A preservative now rarely listed directly on labels but still released by several common preservatives. It is a known human carcinogen and one of the most common causes of preservative contact allergy.
A Caredermis plain-language explanation to help you read the label — not a regulator statement. The sourced facts are the classifications and status shown on this page.
Documented concerns
Each concern below is drawn from official data — see the cited sources ↓
Cancer concern
10/10Classified as carcinogenic to humans (IARC Group 1).
Allergy risk
8/10Potent contact allergen and sensitizer.
Irritation
7/10Irritates skin, eyes and airways at low concentrations.
Official regulatory status
Pulled directly from official regulatory datasets and expert reviews — not our own judgement.
Guidance by skin profile
Caredermis editorial guidance based on the concerns above — checked against the official records on every build, but not itself a regulator statement.
- Sensitive skinBest avoided
- Oily & acne-proneNo specific concern
- Dry skinNo specific concern
- PregnancyBest avoided
- Babies & kidsBest avoided
- Eczema-proneBest avoided
Sources
Each authority below is shown only because our ingested copy of its data lists Formaldehyde — not because we asserted it. Follow a link to verify the classification or regulation directly.
See our methodology for how these map to concern levels. Informational only — not medical advice.
Products in our library containing Formaldehyde
Related ingredients
Ingredients with a similar role or shared type of concern — useful for comparing what's on your label.
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