Sodium Paraben
AKA “Sodium 4-hydroxybenzoate, Sodium p-hydroxybenzoate, 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid sodium salt, Benzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-, monosodium salt, p-Hydroxybenzoic acid sodium salt, Monosodium p-hydroxybenzoate, Monosodium 4-hydroxybenzoate, sodium salt (1:1), EINECS 204-051-1”
Preservative
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Ingredient Facts
Sodium paraben
AKA: Sodium 4-hydroxybenzoate, Sodium p-hydroxybenzoate, 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid sodium salt, Benzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-, Monosodium salt, P-Hydroxybenzoic acid sodium salt, Monosodium p-hydroxybenzoate, Monosodium 4-hydroxybenzoate, Sodium salt (1:1), EINECS 204-051-1
Preservative · Preservative · EWG: 4
Synthetic
Preservative
Not Clean
The CIR Expert Panel concluded that the following 20 parabens are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment when the sum of the combined concentration of parabens in any given formulation does not exceed 0.8 %...Sodium Paraben...
Formula
C7H5NaO3
Mol. Weight
160.10
CAS #
114-63-6, 85080-04-2
Form
Powder
See origin →
Functions
Preservative
Keeps your product from growing bacteria, mold, or yeast. Without these, that jar of cream becomes a petri dish in about a week.
Anti-Inflammatory
Antimicrobial
Fights Acne
Prevents microbial growth
Traditional Use
Parabens were first synthesized in 1924 as synthetic preservatives. Adopted by the cosmetics industry in the 1950s as effective antimicrobial agents to replace less stable natural preservatives.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
General
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Caution
EWG
4
CIR
Safe as used
Pregnancy
Caution
Restricted By
CIR Safety Findings
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Phototoxicity Concern
Concentration Guide
Dermal absorption: 0.1%. Source: CIR Safety Assessment (CIR Seq 746).
Regulatory Agencies
Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid and its Salts, and Benzyl Benzoate
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid rescues multisystemic disease and perinatal lethality in a mouse model of mitochondrial disease.
Corral-Sarasa J, Martínez-Gálvez JM, González-García P, Wendling O, Jiménez-Sánchez L et al.
Cell reports, 2024
4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Sodium Paraben
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Benzoic acid and its derivatives as naturally occurring compounds in foods and as additives: Uses, exposure, and controversy.
Del Olmo A, Calzada J, Nuñez M
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 2017
Benzoic acid and its derivatives as naturally occurring compounds in foods and as additives: Uses, exposure, and controversy.
Del Olmo A, Calzada J, Nuñez M
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 2017
Benzoic acid and its derivatives as naturally occurring compounds in foods and as additives: Uses, exposure, and controversy.
Del Olmo A, Calzada J, Nuñez M
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 2017
4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Benzoic Acid
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Toluidines, their isomers, salts and halogenated and sulfonated derivatives except 4-hydroxy-2-nitro-toluidine and hydroxyethyl-2-nitro-p-toluidine
Health Canada
Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid and its...
Wilbur Johnson, Wilma F Bergfeld, Donald V Belsito, Ronald A Hill, Curtis D Klaassen, Daniel C Liebler + 5 more
International journal of toxicology, 2017
Safety Assessment of Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid and its...
Wilbur Johnson, Wilma F Bergfeld, Donald V Belsito, Ronald A Hill, Curtis D Klaassen, Daniel C Liebler + 5 more
International journal of toxicology, 2017
Verified Jun 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR