Found Silver on a label? You’re allowed to ask what it’s doing there. Here’s what it can be used for, who flags it, and what the research says, with a source for every line.
Evidence key Strong Moderate Weak How we grade
Worth a closer look
Suspected reproductive toxicant Restricted in the EU
- Also on labels as
- CI 77820
- What it can be used for
- Adds color, conditions skin, and reduces or masks body odor (the functions the EU ingredient database, CosIng, lists for it; a product may use it for any of them)
- CAS number
- 7440-22-4
Why it’s flagged
Classified as suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child.
- EU classification Repr. 2. Source: EU CLP Regulation, Annex VI harmonized classification
EU Repr. 2: suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child.
Allowed in EU cosmetics only with limits.
- Annex II entry 1727 bans only this form: “Silver (nano) [1 nm < particle diameter ≤ 100 nm]; Silver (massive) [particle diameter ≥ 1 mm]”. Source: EU Cosmetics Regulation, Annex II (prohibited)
- Annex III entry 379; applies to: Silver (powder) [100 nm < particle diameter < 1 mm]; products: (a) Toothpaste; (b) Mouthwash; max For (a) and (b): 0,05 %. Source: EU Cosmetics Regulation, Annex III (restricted)
Annex III (restricted substances) or Annex V (preservatives) of the EU Cosmetics Regulation sets maximum amounts, allowed product types or required warnings.
What the research says
- Unlike the classic hazardous air pollutants in the same 482-deodorant survey (formaldehyde, benzene, methanol, ethylene oxide, trichloroethylene, chloroform), which each appeared in only 0.4-13.7% of products at generally low concentration, the two intentionally added biocides (chlorine dioxide, silver) and the fragrance allergens were found far more consistently and at far higher concentrations, consistent with the classic HAPs being incidental base-formulation contaminants rather than deliberately added ingredients. Moderate evidence. Kim et al. 2018
- The spray products with the most visible nanoparticles under an electron microscope (a silver nanospray, a disinfectant nanospray, and a regular silver spray) actually produced the LOWEST measured aerosol inhalation exposures of the 10 products tested, while some products with little or no visible nanoparticle content produced among the highest nanosized-aerosol exposures — so how much nano-material a product visibly contains does not predict how much aerosol you actually breathe in from using it. Moderate evidence. Nazarenko 2014
- Two silver spray products (a 'nano' and a 'regular' version) were the exception to the head-airways pattern: despite having the lowest total deposited aerosol doses of any product tested (2-4 orders of magnitude below the other 8 sprays), a much larger share of their deposited dose — about 29% and 40% respectively — reached the deep alveolar region of the lungs, versus 7-9.5% for the other 8 sprays. Moderate evidence. Nazarenko 2014
- Most 'natural' or herbal deodorant actives described in this review (essential oils such as tea tree and usnic acid, and dozens of herbal extracts) work the same way synthetic actives like triclosan and silver compounds do: by killing or inhibiting the skin bacteria that cause odor, not through some fundamentally gentler mechanism. Moderate evidence. Kanlayavattanakul & Lourith 2011
Each finding shows its evidence grade. See every graded fact or how we grade.
Articles that cite these findings
What this page can’t tell you
These lists describe what a substance can do, its hazard. The risk from one product depends on how much is in it and how you use it, and the label doesn’t say how much.
Not being on a list doesn’t make an ingredient safe. It may never have been assessed.
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Official lists checked September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.