Beauty ingredient · Preservative
Methylparaben
- CAS
- 99-76-3
A paraben preservative used in creams, lotions and shampoos.
- Paraben
- Preservative
- Expert review pending
Concern level
A minor or very limited concern, such as being an ultra-processing marker only. The concern level sets how many points methylparaben costs on a product’s receipt.
What the evidence says
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Restricted useRegulatory
Allowed in EU cosmetics up to 0.4% (single ester) and 0.8% (mixtures of esters). [1]
Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.
Rules around the world
| Where | Status | Details | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | Restricted | Up to 0.4% (as acid) for a single ester; 0.8% for mixtures (Annex V, entry 12). | — | [1] |
“Banned” means explicitly prohibited or withdrawn after review; “not permitted” means never authorized there. We use each regulator’s own words.
Popular products that list methylparaben
8 of the 17,000 most-scanned products in the US with a GoodSwap page list methylparaben.
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Crema Manos S'nonas · 150 mL Score 72 out of 100 Good -
Daily Moisturizing Lotion CeraVe · 237 mL Score 92 out of 100 Excellent -
Moisturing Lotion CeraVe Score 92 out of 100 Excellent -
Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant 48H Moisture/ Hydration Lotion Vaseline Score 86 out of 100 Excellent -
CeraVe CeraVe · 355 mL Score 92 out of 100 Excellent -
Hydrating Facial Cleanser CeraVe Score 91 out of 100 Excellent -
PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion CeraVe Score 92 out of 100 Excellent -
Tums Assorted Berries Chewy Bites Tums Score 24 out of 100 Poor
Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (6)
- e218
- methylparaben
- methyl paraben
- sodium methylparaben
- methyl 4 hydroxybenzoate
- methyl p hydroxybenzoate
Sources
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“butylparaben and propylparaben should be prohibited in leave-on cosmetic products designed for application on the nappy area of children below three years.”
eur-lex.europa.eu