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Score legend
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES LEARN MORE ABOUT EWG VERIFIED®
Product score: 03

Data Availability:

Limited

USTAWI NIACINAMIDE DARK SPOT CORRECTOR

USTAWI NIACINAMIDE DARK SPOT CORRECTOR

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CATEGORY

Facial Moisturizer/Treatment
Skin Fading/Lightener

BRAND

Ustawi

DATA LAST UPDATED

December 2022

Ingredient concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • MODERATE
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • MODERATE
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • HIGH
    Use Restrictions

Ingredient scores

Ingredients are scored based on their formulation and concentration in this product. Click on an ingredient for more information.

Ingredient score: 01
WATER
Appeared as: AQUA /WATER/EAU
Data Availability: Robust
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FUNCTION(S) solvent
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Ingredient score: 02
PROPANEDIOL
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) solvent, viscosity decreasing agent, viscosity controlling
CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Enhanced skin absorption
• Endocrine disruption (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)
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Ingredient score: 01
CAPRYLIC/ CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) fragrance ingredient, skin-conditioning agent - occlusive
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Ingredient score: 01
C14-22 ALCOHOLS
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) emulsion stabilizer, emulsion stabilising
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Ingredient score: 01
NIACINAMIDE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, smoothing
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Ingredient score: 01
SILICA, AMORPHOUS
Appeared as: SILICA
Data Availability: Good
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FUNCTION(S) abrasive, absorbent, anticaking agent, bulking agent, opacifying agent, suspending agent- nonsurfactant, anticaking, opacifying
CONCERNS • Cancer (moderate)
• Use restrictions (low)
• Persistence and bioaccumulation (high)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/ VP COPOLYMER
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) viscosity increasing agent - aqueous, viscosity controlling
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Ingredient score: 01
ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant
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Ingredient score: 01
HEXYLRESORCINOL
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) antimicrobial agent, cosmetic biocide, antimicrobial
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Ingredient score: 01
TRIETHYL CITRATE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) fragrance ingredient, plasticizer, antioxidant, deodorant, masking, plasticiser, solvent
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Ingredient score: 02
C12-20 ALKYL GLUCOSIDE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) surfactant - emulsifying agent, emulsifying, surfactant
CONCERNS • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
SODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) hair conditioning agent, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, surfactant - cleansingagent, cleansing, emulsifying, hair conditioning, skin conditioning
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (low)
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Ingredient score: 03
SODIUM BENZOATE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) fragrance ingredient, preservative, anticorrosive, masking
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, skin-conditioning agent - occlusive, emollient
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Ingredient score: 02
TOCOPHEROL
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant, fragrance ingredient, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous;skin-conditioning agent - occlusive, skin conditioning
CONCERNS • Cancer (low)
• Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Endocrine disruption (low)
• Contamination concerns (HYDROQUINONE)
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Ingredient score: 01
LEVULINIC ACID
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) fragrance ingredient, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, perfuming, skin conditioning
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Ingredient score: 01
ADANSONIA DIGITATA FRUIT EXTRACT
Data Availability: None
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FUNCTION(S) humectant, skin-conditioning agent - emollient
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Ingredient score: 04
SODIUM HYDROXIDE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) denaturant, ph adjuster, buffering
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (high)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 02
EPIGALLOCATECHIN GALLATE
Data Availability: Fair
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant
CONCERNS • Allergies/immunotoxicity (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 02
GLYCERIN
Data Availability: Good
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FUNCTION(S) denaturant, fragrance ingredient, hair conditioning agent, humectant, oral care agent;oral health care drug, skin-conditioning agent - humectant, skin protectant, viscosity decreasing agent, perfuming, solvent
CONCERNS • Use restrictions (moderate)
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Ingredient score: 01
SODIUM LEVULINATE
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, skin conditioning
CONCERNS • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (low)
• Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Enhanced skin absorption
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 05
GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) antioxidant, skin-conditioning agent - humectant, skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous, perfuming
CONCERNS • Developmental/reproductive toxicity (moderate)
• Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Neurotoxicity (low)
• Endocrine disruption (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (low)
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Ingredient score: 01
1,2-HEXANEDIOL
Data Availability: Limited
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FUNCTION(S) solvent
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Ingredient score: 01
BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-4
Data Availability: None
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Ingredients from packaging:

: Aqua /Water/Eau, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C14-22 Alcohols, Niacinamide, Silica, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hexylresorcinol, Triethyl Citrate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Benzoate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Levulinic Acid, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Glycerin, Sodium Levulinate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Biosaccharide Gum-4

Warnings from packaging:

For external use only, keep out of reach of children, avoid contact with eyes.

Product's animal testing policies

Some cosmetics companies have taken People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Leaping Bunny animal-testing pledges. For consumers who are concerned about companies’ policies on animal testing, Skin Deep reports this information.


Unknown

Leading international certifiers PETA and Leaping Bunny have no information concerning this company’s use of animal testing.

Understanding scores

Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.

Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.

HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES

Hazard score

The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG VERIFIED® mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.

Score legend
WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH

A product’s hazard score is not an average of the ingredients’ hazard scores. It is calculated using a weight-of-evidence approach that factors in all of the hazards or health impacts associated with the ingredients.

Data availability

The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.

NONE LIMITED FAIR GOOD ROBUST
Low Availability
Moderate Availability
High Availability
NONE

Ingredients have not been assessed.

LIMITED-FAIR

There is only a modest volume of research.

GOOD-ROBUST

Ingredients have been studied extensively.

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