- Type
- Preservative
- How serious
- High severity
- Evidence
- Strong evidence
Why it is flagged
Classified as a human carcinogen and a potent sensitiser; banned as a directly added cosmetic ingredient in the EU.
Health topics it bears on
Sources
- Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist Health Canada, 2025
- Revision of the opinion on the safety of the use of formaldehyde in nail hardeners (SCCS/1538/14) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, 2014
- IARC Monographs Volume 100F: Chemical Agents and Related Occupations International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2012
Also listed as
formalin, methanal, formaldehído, formaldeide, formaldehyd