amber
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative — generally well-tolerated but documented as MCAS and contact-dermatitis trigger in sensitive individuals.
Low Tox Gear · Scanner
Maybelline Express Brown Pencil each
Is Maybelline Express Brown Pencil each low tox? Our scanner flagged 4 ingredients (4 in the caution tier) on its published label, screened against our 237 source-cited chemical rules.
4 caution
4 ingredients flagged
What we flagged
amber
Red 40
Implicated in childhood hyperactivity (Southampton study). Banned in some EU member states.
amber
Dioxide CI 16035
Same dye as Red 40 used in cosmetics.
amber
Titanium Dioxide
Banned as a food additive in the EU (2022) due to nano-particle genotoxicity concerns. Inhalation classified IARC Group 2B.
Full ingredients (from label)
G2056757 - INGREDIENTS: ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE SYNTHETIC BEESWAX HELIANTHUS ANNUUS SEED CERA / SUNFLOWER SEED WAX COCOS NUCIFERA OIL / COCONUT OIL COPERNICIA CERIFERA CERA / CARNAUBA WAX HELIANTHUS ANNUUS SEED OIL / SUNFLOWER SEED OIL PHENOXYETHANOL CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT TOCOPHERYL ACETATE TOCOPHEROL HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL ASCORBYL PALMITATE PALMITIC ACID ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN STEARIC ACID +/- MAY CONTAIN: CI 77491CI 77492CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES MICA CI 77891 / TITANIUM DIOXIDE CI 16035 / RED 40 LAKE. (F.I.L. Z70012348/2).Please be aware that ingredient lists for the products of our brand are updated regularly. Please refer to the ingredient list on your product package for the most up to date list of ingredients to ensure it is suitable to your personal use.
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.