Do Eos Lotions Cause Cancer?

Evolution of Smooth (also known as Eos) is a US beauty and skincare company based in New York City. Once known for their popular spherical lip balms, Eos released a range of body lotions in 2020, during the pandemic, which led to its viral success.

Since then, gourmand fragrances and highly-touted product quality have made them a cult favourite in skincare. According to Nielsen, the Eos body lotion was the fastest growing body lotion in 2024, with 50 bottles purchased every minute. Reviewers typically praise the lotion’s scent, and moisturizing abilities.

However, despite how popular the product has become, concerns have been raised about whether Eos lotions contain cancer-causing ingredients. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), at least 15 Eos lotion products have been labelled a ‘moderate hazard’, while three more have been labelled a ‘high hazard’. These products were assessed by whether their ingredients have been associated with significant health, environmental or toxicity concerns.

The EWG-labelled ‘high hazard’ Eos lotion product variations include: Cucumber, Berry Blossom (2019 formulation), and Delicate Petals (2019 formulation). For the Cucumber Eos lotion, the product has been flagged as ‘high hazard’ due to its fragrance mix, which may put one at risk of allergies or adverse immune reactions.

The product also contains retinyl palmitate and BHT, which have been listed by the EWG as a ‘moderate hazard’ risk for cancer. However, these chemicals have not been classified as carcinogens, and research on their cancer-causing risks remains disputed.

Currently, Eos lotions do not contain carcinogens with strong evidence of causing cancer in humans. However, unease remains around their use of butylphenyl methylpropional in their raspberry-scented products. Butylphenyl methylpropional is a fragrance ingredient also known as lilial, which is a known allergen. Over the past few years, social media posts have continued to highlight the use of butylphenyl methylpropional in Eos lotions.

In 2022, cosmetic products containing butylphenyl methylpropional were banned from EU and UK shelves. The ban was implemented due to the chemical’s hormone-disrupting properties, and classification as carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic (CMR) category 1B, by EU and UK guidelines.

Currently, the majority of evidence of the health risks of butylphenyl methylpropional have only been found in animal research, and not in human research. Hence, products containing butylphenyl methylpropional continue to remain allowed in the US.

Beyond these concerns, the EWG’s assessment of newer formulations of Eos lotions from 2023 to 2025 suggest that they have a low risk of causing cancer. Some examples include the Fresh & Cosy Shea Better 24H Moisture Body Lotion, the Strawberry Dream Shea Better 24H Moisture Body Lotion, and the Caramel Cashmere Body Lotion.