red
Retinyl Palmitate
Avoid topical retinoids during pregnancy — vitamin A teratogenicity.
Low Tox Gear · Scanner
Nivea Gentle Exfoliating Face Scrub For Normal & Combination Skin 150mL
Is Nivea Gentle Exfoliating Face Scrub For Normal & Combination Skin 150mL low tox? Our scanner flagged 3 ingredients (1 in the avoid tier, 2 caution) on its published label, screened against our 237 source-cited chemical rules.
1 avoid2 caution
3 ingredients flagged
What we flagged
amber
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Milder than SLS but still drying for sensitive skin.
amber
Sodium Benzoate
Implicated in childhood hyperactivity studies and reported MCAS trigger.
Full ingredients (from label)
AquaMicrocrystalline CelluloseGlycerinXanthan GumNelumbo Nucifera Flower ExtractTocopheryl AcetateRetinyl PalmitateCaprylic/Capric GlyceridesCitric AcidCoco-GlucosideSodium Laureth SulfateHydroxypropyl MethylcelluloseSilicaKaolinLactoseSodium HydroxideSodium BenzoateCI 77007
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.