red
Acrylates/Octylacrylamide Copolymer
IARC Group 2A. Forms on high-temperature browning of starches; also a polyacrylamide impurity.
Low Tox Gear · Scanner
Nivea Sun Protect & Dry Touch SPF50, UVA 4 Stars
Is Nivea Sun Protect & Dry Touch SPF50, UVA 4 Stars low tox? Our scanner flagged 4 ingredients (1 in the avoid tier, 3 caution) on its published label, screened against our 237 source-cited chemical rules.
1 avoid3 caution
4 ingredients flagged
What we flagged
amber
Alcohol Denat
Strips skin barrier — flares eczema, rosacea and psoriasis.
amber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
Common UVA filter — degrades in sunlight unless stabilised.
amber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
Salicylate UV filter — milder profile than oxybenzone but absorbs systemically (FDA TEA).
Full ingredients (from label)
Alcohol Denat.Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/DicaprateC12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCaprylic/Capric TriglycerideDibutyl AdipateDicaprylyl CarbonateButyl MethoxydibenzoylmethaneEthylhexyl SalicylateEthylhexyl TriazoneDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl BenzoateAcrylates/Octylacrylamide CopolymerBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl TriazineGlycerinTocopherolAquaLimoneneLinaloolBenzyl AlcoholAlpha-Isomethyl IononeCitronellolGeraniolEthyl BenzoateMethyl BenzoateParfum.
How this analysis is generated
Each ingredient on this product's published label is matched against our 237 source-cited chemical rules, each documenting a concern from peer-reviewed research and regulatory sources. Severity tiers:
- Avoid (red) — banned or restricted in the EU, UK or Canada but still legal in the US, IARC-listed, or strong contact-allergen evidence.
- Caution (amber) — regulatory caution, contamination risk, or condition-specific irritant.
- Mild (green) — low concern but commonly avoided in low-tox formulations.
Each flag links to its primary chemical-level source, and each condition pill links to a PubMed-indexed paper that discusses the chemical class in the context of that condition. Every citation is a real peer-reviewed paper — we don't link to Wikipedia or PubMed search pages. Some pairs use a topically-broad paper (e.g. a fragrance-allergen patch-test review) rather than a single-pair study where the literature is thin. The full evidence chain (chemical → mechanism → condition → paper) is one click away.
This is automated analysis of a published label, not medical advice — always verify the label yourself before changing products. Methodology and source list at scan.lowtoxgear.com.