Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.
EWG Home EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning EWG’s Food Scores Healthy Living App Open menu

EWG's Skin Deep®
Find products and ingredients Learn how Skin Deep® works Meet our experts Discover EWG VERIFIED®
GET UPDATES DONATE
Score legend
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES Learn more About EWG VERIFIED®

Data: Limited

Methylparaben

  • Products with this ingredient are allowed for use in EWG VERIFIED but must meet use restrictions and warnings based on EWG review of company data.
  • This ingredient's score is higher if used in product forms that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns. The score is lower if used in product forms that have lower risk of inhalation (e.g., solids, liquids)
  • This ingredient's score is higher if used in products that may not meet industry safety guidelines or U.S. and international government requirements. The score will be lower if used in products that meet these safety guidelines and requirements.

IMAGE SOURCE: PubChem

SEARCH PRODUCTS

Other Concerns

Use restrictions (low), Endocrine disruption (moderate), and Biochemical or cellular level changes (low_moderate)

SYNONYMS

● 62345-EP2281817A1
● 62345-EP2272817A1
● M-6148
● METHYL 4-HYDROXYBENZOATE, USP, 98.0-102.0%
● 108078-EP2272843A1
● 108078-EP2281817A1
● 108078-EP2287155A1
● 108078-EP2295414A1
● 108078-EP2298746A1
● 62345-EP2371808A1

Restricted

Restricted: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation

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) system disruptors.

Common concerns

See how this product scores for common concerns.

  • LOW
    Cancer
  • LOW_MODERATE
    Allergies & Immunotoxicity
  • LOW
    Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity
  • LOW
    Use Restrictions

Ingredient concerns

  • CONCERNS
  • DATA SOURCES

Products with this Ingredient

Expand content Collapse content
shampoo115 products
styling gel/lotion155 products
conditioner185 products
hair spray22 products
after shave16 products
facial moisturizer/treatment176 products
hand cream85 products
antiperspirant/deodorant2 products
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's)1 products
anti-aging43 products
bronzer/highlighter142 products
foundation548 products
makeup primer23 products
setting powder/spray29 products
facial cleanser109 products
foot moisturizer29 products
around-eye cream49 products
mask64 products
skin fading/lightener10 products
moisturizer480 products
styling mousse/foam33 products
hair styling aide146 products
shaving cream (men's)6 products
brow liner97 products
eye liner218 products
eye makeup remover10 products
sunless tanning43 products
makeup remover23 products
blush101 products
bath oil/salts/soak5 products
body wash/cleanser17 products
facial powder175 products
mascara274 products
concealer186 products
eye shadow271 products
lipstick104 products
hair color and bleaching60 products
hair relaxer8 products
lip balm39 products
hair-loss treatment8 products
hair treatment/serum82 products
detangler8 products
exfoliant/scrub41 products
daily use with SPF21 products
oil controller3 products
baby shampoo2 products
BB cream15 products
body firming lotion93 products
toners/astringents25 products
toothpaste6 products
nail treatment7 products
diaper cream9 products
after sun product15 products
shaving cream20 products
lip liner58 products
Hair Styling Gel6 products
body spray4 products
lip gloss54 products
glitter7 products
cuticle treatment5 products
serums & essences51 products
nail polish24 products
polish remover2 products
pore strips13 products
hand sanitizer10 products
Bath and Body Wipes4 products
mouthwash39 products
Exfoliants1 products
muscle/joint soreness3 products
Other Hair Care Preparations1 products
damaged skin treatment8 products
recreational sunscreen25 products
foot cleansing2 products
baby sunscreen5 products
baby lotion6 products
baby oil1 products
Moisturizing Socks1 products
fragrance for women5 products
bubble bath3 products
body oil1 products
beard cleanser2 products
lip plumper1 products
other eye makeup7 products
Under Eye Concealers1 products
bar soap3 products
Eye Shadow Primers1 products
beard care3 products
tooth whitening3 products
hair removal waxes3 products
lip balm with SPF2 products
eyelash glue1 products
liquid hand soap6 products
baby wipes2 products
depilatory2 products
tanning oil2 products
Oils & Serums1 products
nail glue1 products
hair perm1 products
Fragrance Lotion or Cream1 products
Tanning Sprays1 products
Face Wipes1 products
baby soap1 products
body art1 products
foot odor control2 products
body powder1 products

Allergies/immunotoxicity

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Human immune toxicant or allergen - moderate evidence

Biochemical or cellular level changes

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Interferes with gene expresion

Endocrine disruption

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Limited evidence of endocrine disruption
Human endocrine disruptor - strong evidenceEuropean Commission on Endocrine Disruption
One or more studies show weak endocrine disruptionByford 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.

Use restrictions

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations -
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - anyCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualificationsIJT 39(S1):5-97,2020

Multiple, additive exposure sources

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodFDA Food Additive Status
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in foodFDA Everything Added to Food

Data gaps

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN 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 productCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Informational

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - anyCosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmfulEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Persistence and bioaccumulation

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be persistentEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
Not suspected to be bioaccumulativeEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List

Ecotoxicology

Expand content Collapse content
CONCERN REFERENCE
Not suspected to be an environmental toxinEnvironment Canada Domestic Substance List
  • EU (European Union)- Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007. Commision on endocrin disruption requested by the European Parliament in 1998.
  • Byford 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.
  • CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
  • IJT 39(S1):5-97,2020
  • FDA (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.
  • FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
  • EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.

Understanding scores

Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.

Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.

HOW WE DETERMINE SCORES

Hazard score

The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG VERIFIED® mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.

Score legend
WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH

A product’s hazard score is not an average of the ingredients’ hazard scores. It is calculated using a weight-of-evidence approach that factors in all of the hazards or health impacts associated with the ingredients.

Data availability

The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.

NONE LIMITED FAIR GOOD ROBUST
Low Availability
Moderate Availability
High Availability
NONE

Ingredients have not been assessed.

LIMITED-FAIR

There is only a modest volume of research.

GOOD-ROBUST

Ingredients have been studied extensively.

Can’t find your product?

Enter the ingredients in EWG’s Build Your Own Report tool to get an approximate score for that product.

BUILD YOUR OWN REPORT

News & updates

Big Market for Black Cosmetics, but Less-Hazardous Choices Limited
RESEARCH
Big Market for Black Cosmetics, but Less-Hazardous Choices Limited
K-Beauty Trends: Serums, Essences and EWG’s Best Bets
RESEARCH
K-Beauty Trends: Serums, Essences and EWG’s Best Bets
FDA Asks Women To Protect Themselves From Products The Agency Refused To Ban
NEWS RELEASE
FDA Asks Women To Protect Themselves From Products The Agency Refused To Ban
Study Highlights Importance of Cosmetics Ingredient Safety Tests
NEWS RELEASE
Study Highlights Importance of Cosmetics Ingredient Safety Tests
READ ALL ARTICLES
Skindeep Healthy Living App

EWG research
on the go

Find personal care, cleaning, and food products on the EWG Healthy Living app.

DOWNLOAD THE APP