EPA Updates Safer Chemicals Ingredients List
On September 23, 2023, EPA announced that it is adding 10 chemicals to the Safer Chemicals Ingredients List (SCIL), a list of chemicals which have been reviewed by EPA’s Safer Choice Program and meet its Safer Choice Criteria. The chemicals on the list are considered to be among the safest chemicals for their functional use class (such as surfactants, solvents, or chelating agents), allowing manufacturers to choose the safest available chemicals for each type of ingredient in a product.
Manufacturers can apply to have chemicals added to the SCIL. During the application process, a third-party profiles the substance and the Safer Choice Program assesses whether it meets Safer Choice criteria, which includes toxicity and fate standards. Products containing chemicals that meet Safer Choice criteria may be eligible to enter into partnership with the program, which grants use of a Safer Choice product label.
According to EPA, the updated SCIL includes 1,071 substances. The 10 chemicals added to the list in September 2023 are shown below.
| List Name | CAS Registry Number | Functional Use Class |
| Fats and Glyceridic oils, vegetable, hydrogenated | 68334-28-1 | Emollients |
| Tocopherols | 1406-66-2 | Preservatives and Antioxidants |
| Sulfuric acid, dimethyl ester, compd. with .alpha.,.alpha.’,.alpha.”,.alpha.”’-[1,6-hexanediylbis(nitrilodi-2,1-ethanediyl)]tetrakis[.omega.-hydroxypoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl)] | 247074-09-5 | Polymers |
| Glycolipids, sophorose-contg., Candida bombicola-fermented, from D-glucose and mahua Madhuca longifolia fats and glyceridic oils | 1573124-58-9 | Surfactants |
| 1,4-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-dimethyl ester, polymer with 1,2-ethanediol, .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxypoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) and 1,2-propanediol, ester with .alpha.-methyl-.omega.-hydroxypoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) | 152442-40-5 | Polymers |
| Dodecanoic acid, ester with 1,2-propanediol | 37321-62-3 | Solvents |
| Diisopropyl succinate | 924-88-9 | Solvents |
| Diisopropyl sebacate | 7491-02-3 | Solvents |
| Methyl propanediol | 2163-42-0 | Solvents |
| Methyl ethyl ketone | 78-93-3 | Solvents |
