What do the Clean, Low, Watch and Swap levels mean?

They are cut from a continuous concern level the app computes from the sourced claims that the chosen evidence lens shows: each claim counts its concern class, tier weight, confidence and dose relevance, combined worst-first with a decay so one serious finding outweighs many small ones, then scaled by how much of the substance reaches you in this use. Clean is below 0.35, Low below 1.1, Watch below 2.0 and Swap above that, on a 0 to 3 scale.

Is Polyurethane-11 safe on skin (left on)?

Q: Is polyurethane-11 safe on skin (left on)?

Under the app's default Cautious lens, polyurethane-11 on skin (left on) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. 2 sourced concerns count (theory, consensus tier; environmental, consensus tier). This is research with sources, not medical advice.

Cosmetics1 use researched2 sourced claims

Where it turns up: film former, nail polish durability, common. Detox My Life researched polyurethane-11 under one use, because the same substance means something different in each use. Every claim below carries its evidence tier, how sure the research is that it applies here, and the sources it cites. The level is computed by the app's own deterministic engine, so the page says exactly what the app would.

Level by use and lens

Use	Mainstream	Cautious (default)	Based	Concerns · favour · fringe
On skin, left on	Watch	Watch	Watch	2 · 0

Mainstream shows consensus claims only; Cautious adds emerging research; Based adds fringe claims, labelled as such. The last column counts, under Cautious, the sourced concerns, the findings in its favour and the fringe claims Based would add.

Safer swaps: the app's swap catalog covers the products this turns up in: Nail polish. Alternatives are always types, never brands.

On skin, left on Watch

Under the default Cautious lens polyurethane-11 on skin (left on) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. Mainstream (consensus only) rates it Watch; Based (adds the fringe) rates it Watch. Researched 2026-09-03.

Sourced concerns (2)

ConsensusTheoryconfidence 100%

Polyurethane-11 is safe for use in cosmetics, including dermal leave-on products, because its large molecular size prevents skin penetration, minimizing systemic toxicity or sensitization, and residual irritant monomers are not detectable in finished cosmetic-grade forms.

Why here: The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel specifically assessed polyurethane polymers, including Polyurethane-11, for cosmetic use and concluded their safety based on properties relevant to dermal exposure.
What would have to be true: Dermal application in cosmetic products, where the ingredient remains on the skin surface.

Sources the engine cites:

Safety Assessment of Polyurethanes as Used in Cosmetics — cir-safety.org (2016) · regulator or public body
1 web article (sincereskincare.com), linked in the app.

ConsensusEnvironmentalconfidence 100%

Polyurethane-11 is considered a microplastic under recent EU regulations (2023/2055) if used in solid particle form (e.g., glitter), but generally does not meet the 'particle' criteria for the ban if fully dissolved in a liquid formula.

Why here: The environmental impact of synthetic polymers, including their potential as microplastics, is a regulatory concern for ingredients used in dermal leave-on cosmetics that may be released into the environment.
What would have to be true: Release into the environment from the use and disposal of dermal leave-on cosmetic products, particularly if the ingredient is in solid particle form.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

1 web article (sincereskincare.com), linked in the app.

Not researched here

The engine has no dossier for polyurethane-11 when cooked with heat, in cold food, as a finishing ingredient, in heated food packaging or other uses. The app researches an ingredient for the use it infers from your product, so a scan fills these in; this page only shows what has already been researched and source-verified.

This is research, not medical advice. Detox My Life shows sourced claims sorted by evidence tier. It does not diagnose, treat, or tell you to start or stop anything. Talk to a qualified professional about your health.

Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.

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