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METHYLPARABEN
Score
Data: Fair
CAS99-76-3
eye shadow (781 products)
facial moisturizer/ treatment (778 products)
moisturizer (672 products)
anti-aging (615 products)
mascara (565 products)
Show all 9,581 products that contain METHYLPARABEN.
Possible impurity in: CITRUS GRANDIS (GRAPEFRUIT) SEED EXTRACT (780 products), CITRUS PARADISI (GRAPEFRUIT) SEED EXTRACT (66 products), see all ingredients | products
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METHYLPARABEN


image source: PubChem
Health concerns of ingredient
About the ratings
Cancer no information
Developmental & reproductive toxicity no information
Allergies & immunotoxicityyes
Use restrictions no information
Contamination concerns: none
Other MODERATE concerns: Endocrine disruption, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Biochemical or cellular level changes
Other LOW concerns: Data gaps

About the ratings

EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer

Function/use(s): Fragrance Ingredient; Preservative

About METHYLPARABEN: Methylparaben is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) sys ... read more

Synonym(s): BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-, METHYL ESTER; P-CARBOMRYHOXYPHENOL; 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID, METHYL ESTER; P-METHOXYCARBONYLPHENOL; METHYL 4-HYDROXYBENZOATE; METHYL P-HYDROXYBENZOATE; METHYL PARAHYDROXYBENZOATE; BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-, METHYL ESTER, POTASSIUM SALT; 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID, METHYL ESTER, POTASSIUM SALT; METHYL P-HYDROXYBENZOATE POTASSIUM SALT; METHYLPARABEN, POTASSIUM SALT

Endocrine disruption

type of concern product conditions reference
Human endocrine disruptor - strong evidence    European Commission on Endocrine Disruption
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Allergies/immunotoxicity

type of concern product conditions reference
Human skin toxicant - strong evidence    Nagel JE, Fuscaldo JT, Fireman P, 1977
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Biochemical or cellular level changes

type of concern product conditions reference
Interferes with gene expresion    Pugazhendhi D, Sadler AJ, Darbre PD, 2007

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

type of concern product conditions reference
Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity    Harvell, J, 1994
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Persistence and bioaccumulation

type of concern product conditions reference
Not suspected to be persistent    Environment Canada Domestic Substance List
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Data gaps

type of concern product conditions reference
Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product   Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
475 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results ->   PubMed

Ecotoxicology

type of concern product conditions reference
Not suspected to be an environmental toxin    Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Multiple, additive exposure sources

type of concern product conditions reference
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food   FDA Everything Added to Food
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food   FDA Food Additive Status

Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
government/industry list/academic study appears on list as classification(s)
FDA Food Additive StatusMETHYLPARABEN• PRES
• GRAS/ FS - CFR184.1490
• < 0.1% by wt - Part 150
• Art Sw Jelly (150.141) & Preserves (150.161)
• REG
• ZERO - Res in milk from dairy cows treated with mastitis formulations -556.390
• Use & Info - CFR526.820
Cosmetic Ingredient Review AssessmentsMETHYLPARABENQQQ01,QQQ11; D-, M-, C-
FDA Everything Added to FoodMETHYL P-HYDROXYBENZOATE• ASP
Environment Canada Domestic Substance ListBENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-, METHYL ESTER,,,,,,,,,
Environment Canada Domestic Substance ListBENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-, METHYL ESTER, SODIUM SALT,,,,,,,,,
European Commission on Endocrine DisruptionMETHYL P-HYDROXYBENZOATEHH-CAT1;WF-CAT3b
Nagel JE, Fuscaldo JT, Fireman P, 1977METHYLPARABENEWG5 - skin sensitizer
IFRA Fragrance Ingredient ListBENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-, METHYL ESTERreported as used in fragrance compounds in 2008
Routledge EJ, Parker J, Odum J, Ashby J, Sumpter JP, 1998METHYLPARABENMethylparaben produced a positive uterotrophic response in vivo, approximately 100,000 times less potent than 17 beta-estradiol.
Pugazhendhi D, Sadler AJ, Darbre PD, 2007METHYLPARABENThe study identified genes which are upregulated or downregulated to a similar extent by methylparaben, n-butylparaben and 17beta-oestradiol.
Harvell, J, 1994PARABENSSkin or Sense Organ Toxicity Hazards: suspected
Byford JR, Shaw LE, Drew MG, Pope GS, Sauer MJ, Darbre PD, 2002PARABENSEWG11
Harvell, J, 1994PARABENSParabens listed as one of the agents capable of causing contact urticaria by immunological pathogenetic mechanism.

Other RTECS® classifications [shown for informational purposes only]
government/industry list/academic study appears on list as classification(s)
RTECS®- Eisei Shikenjo Hokoku 1978METHYLPARABEN• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster fbr)
RTECS®- Eisei Shikenjo Hokoku 1978METHYLPARABEN• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster fbr)
RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1974METHYLPARABEN• broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (guinea pig LD50)
RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 2002METHYLPARABEN• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (mouse orl)
• skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit )
RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 2002METHYLPARABEN• metabolic - Weight loss or decreased weight gain (rat TDLo)
• brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Ataxia (mouse TDLo)
• broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50)
• brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Flaccid paralysis with appropriate anesthesia (mouse TDLo)
• blood - Other changes (rat TDLo)
• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (mouse orl)
• skin - Primary irritation (guinea pig TDLo)
• skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit )
• respiratory - Respiratory depression (mouse TDLo)
• cardiovascular - Shock (mouse TDLo)
• respiratory - Tumors (mouse TDLo)
RTECS®- Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Scientific Edition 1956METHYLPARABEN• brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Ataxia (mouse LD50)
• broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50)
• brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Flaccid paralysis without anesthesia (usually neuromuscular blockage) (mouse LD50)
• brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Somnolence (general depressed activity) (mouse LD50)
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1979METHYLPARABEN• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster lng)
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1979METHYLPARABEN• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster lng)

references
government/industry list/academic study reference
FDA Food Additive StatusFDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006.
Cosmetic Ingredient Review AssessmentsCIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
FDA Everything Added to FoodFDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Environment Canada Domestic Substance ListEC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
European Commission on Endocrine DisruptionEU (European Union)- Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007. Commision on endocrin disruption requested by the European Parliament in 1998.
EWG Assessment of Open Scientific LiteratureNagel JE, Fuscaldo JT, Fireman P. Paraben allergy. JAMA. 1977, Apr 11; 237(15):1594-5.
IFRA Fragrance Ingredient ListIFRA (International Fragrance Assocication). 2010. IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List based on 2008 Use Survey. Accessed online 01/04/2010: http://www.ifraorg.org/Home/News/Latest-News/page.aspx/66?xf_itemId=43&xf_selectionDatapartId=25
Open scientific literatureRoutledge EJ, Parker J, Odum J, Ashby J, Sumpter JP, 1998. "Some alkyl hydroxy benzoate preservatives (parabens) are estrogenic.," Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1998 Nov;153(1):12-9.
Open scientific literaturePugazhendhi D, Sadler AJ, Darbre PD, 2007. "Comparison of the global gene expression profiles produced by methylparaben, n-butylparaben and 17beta-oestradiol in MCF7 human breast cancer cells," J Appl Toxicol. 2007 Jan-Feb;27(1):67-77.
Scorecard.org Toxicity InformationHarvell, J., M. Bason and H. Maibach. Contact Urticaria and its Mechanisms. Food Chemistry and Toxicology 32(2): 103-112. 1994. (Table 2: Substances identified as capable of causing contact urticaria).
EWG Assessment of Open Scientific LiteratureByford JR, Shaw LE, Drew MG, Pope GS, Sauer MJ, Darbre PD. Oestrogenic activity of parabens in MCF7 human breast cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2002 Jan;80(1):49-60.
Open scientific literatureHarvell, J., M. Bason and H. Maibach. Contact Urticaria and its Mechanisms. Food Chemistry and Toxicology 32(2): 103-112. 1994. (Table 2: Substances identified as capable of causing contact urticaria).
RTECS®- Eisei Shikenjo Hokoku 1978 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Eisei Shikenjo Hokoku. Bulletin of the Institute of Hygienic Sciences. (Kokuritsu Eisei Shikenjo Kagaku, 18-1 Bushitsu Johobu, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158, Japan) V.1- 1886- (96),55,1978
RTECS®- Eisei Shikenjo Hokoku 1978 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Eisei Shikenjo Hokoku. Bulletin of the Institute of Hygienic Sciences. (Kokuritsu Eisei Shikenjo Kagaku, 18-1 Bushitsu Johobu, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158, Japan) V.1- (96),55,1978
RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1974 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series. (Rome, Italy) No.?-57, 1948-77. Discontinued. 53A,81,1974
RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 2002 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.20- 40,1335,2002
RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 2002 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.20- 1982- 40,1335,2002
RTECS®- Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Scientific Edition 1956 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Scientific Edition. (Washington, DC) V.29-49, 1940-60. For publisher information, see JPMSAE. 45,260,1956
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1979 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 66,277,1979
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1979 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- -1964 66,277,1979

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