Regulation and controversy
Butylparaben has not escaped controversy, which itself is controversial. [12] [9]
In December 2010 the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) of the European Union reported that insufficient data is available to perform risk assessments for butylparaben in humans. [13] The committee has also stated that it considers the use of butylparaben and propylparaben as preservatives in finished cosmetic products as safe to the consumer, as long as the sum of their individual concentrations does not exceed 0.19%.
Endocrine disruption
Long-chained parabens, like butylparaben, are more estrogenic than short-chained parabens, like methyl- or ethylparaben. This difference is attributed to the greater lipophilicity of the former. [13] Butylparaben displayed the most competitive binding to rat estrogen receptors when tested along with methyl, ethyl, and propylparabens. [16]
Antiandrogenic
Butylparaben can decrease sperm function and alter metabolic hormones. [13] Rats exposed to a high concentration of butylparaben during pregnancy gave birth to fewer pups, and pups with malformed reproductive organs. [1] Mice administered butylparaben at 0.01-1% body weight for ten weeks showed a decrease in serum testosterone concentration and in spermatid counts in the seminiferous tubules. [1]
Other
It has been shown that butylparaben enter the body through the lungs, GI tract, and skin epithelium. [1]
It occurs in breast cancers at around 20.6±4.2 ng/g tissue. [1] However, parabens have not been proven to cause breast cancer. [9] Estimates by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition have found that the average person is exposed to about 37 ng of butylparaben per day. [1]
Butylparaben has been found in small concentrations in human breast fat and breast tumors. [1] A review by the National Toxicology Program concluded, "There is no evidence of demonstrable risk for the development of breast cancer caused by the use of paraben-containing underarm cosmetics." [17] Animal studies have been inconclusive. Oral administration of butylparaben to eight-week-old rats has caused tumors such as thymic lymphoma, non-thymic lymphoid leukemia, and myeloid leukemia. [1] Similar studies, however, have found no significant increase in tumors upon butylparaben administration. [1] Butylparaben is not listed as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. [18]
A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to products such as food products, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, paints, biological samples, cosmetics, wood, and many other products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes. In general, preservation is implemented in two modes, chemical and physical. Chemical preservation entails adding chemical compounds to the product. Physical preservation entails processes such as refrigeration or drying. Preservative food additives reduce the risk of foodborne infections, decrease microbial spoilage, and preserve fresh attributes and nutritional quality. Some physical techniques for food preservation include dehydration, UV-C radiation, freeze-drying, and refrigeration. Chemical preservation and physical preservation techniques are sometimes combined.
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), also known as dibutylhydroxytoluene, is a lipophilic organic compound, chemically a derivative of phenol, that is useful for its antioxidant properties. BHT is widely used to prevent free radical-mediated oxidation in fluids and other materials, and the regulations overseen by the U.S. F.D.A.—which considers BHT to be "generally recognized as safe"—allow small amounts to be added to foods. Despite this, and the earlier determination by the National Cancer Institute that BHT was noncarcinogenic in an animal model, societal concerns over its broad use have been expressed. BHT has also been postulated as an antiviral drug, but as of December 2022, use of BHT as a drug is not supported by the scientific literature and it has not been approved by any drug regulatory agency for use as an antiviral.
A deodorant is a substance applied to the body to prevent or mask body odor due to bacterial breakdown of perspiration, for example in the armpits, groin, or feet. A subclass of deodorants, called antiperspirants, prevents sweating itself, typically by blocking sweat glands. Antiperspirants are used on a wider range of body parts, at any place where sweat would be inconvenient or unsafe, since unwanted sweating can interfere with comfort, vision, and grip. Other types of deodorant allow sweating but prevent bacterial action on sweat, since human sweat only has a noticeable smell when it is decomposed by bacteria.
A humectant is a hygroscopic (water-absorbing) substance used to keep things moist. They are used in many products, including food, cosmetics, medicines and pesticides. When used as a food additive, a humectant has the effect of keeping moisture in the food. Humectants are sometimes used as a component of antistatic coatings for plastics.
Sodium benzoate also known as benzoate of soda is the sodium salt of benzoic acid, widely used as a food preservative (with an E number of E211) and a pickling agent. It appears as a white crystalline chemical with the formula C6H5COONa.
Parabens are chemicals that are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Chemically, they are a series of parahydroxybenzoates or esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid. Research is being conducted to evaluate the potential health implications of paraben usage.
Sunless tanning, also known as UV filled tanning, self tanning, spray tanning, or fake tanning, refers to the effect of a suntan without exposure to the Sun. Sunless tanning involves the use of oral agents (carotenids), or creams, lotions or sprays applied to the skin. Skin-applied products may be skin-reactive agents or temporary bronzers (colorants).
Ethylparaben (ethyl para-hydroxybenzoate) is the ethyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Its formula is HO-C6H4-CO-O-CH2CH3. It is a member of the class of compounds known as parabens.
Erythrosine, also known as Red No. 3, is an organoiodine compound, specifically a derivative of fluorone. It is a pink dye which is primarily used for food coloring. It is the disodium salt of 2,4,5,7-tetraiodofluorescein. Its maximum absorbance is at 530 nm in an aqueous solution, and it is subject to photodegradation.
Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, chemical formula CH3CH=CH−CH=CH−CO2K. It is a white salt that is very soluble in water (58.2% at 20 °C). It is primarily used as a food preservative (E number 202). Potassium sorbate is effective in a variety of applications including food, wine, and personal-care products. While sorbic acid occurs naturally in rowan and hippophae berries, virtually all of the world's supply of sorbic acid, from which potassium sorbate is derived, is manufactured synthetically.
Methylparaben (methyl paraben) one of the parabens, is a preservative with the chemical formula CH3(C6H4(OH)COO). It is the methyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid.
Propylparaben is the n-propyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. It occurs as a natural substance found in many plants and some insects. Additionally, it can be manufactured synthetically for use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and foods. It is a member of the class of parabens and can be used as a preservative in many water-based cosmetics, such as creams, lotions, shampoos, and bath products. As a food additive, it has an E number, which is E216.
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid, also known as p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), is a monohydroxybenzoic acid, a phenolic derivative of benzoic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that is slightly soluble in water and chloroform but more soluble in polar organic solvents such as alcohols and acetone. 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is primarily known as the basis for the preparation of its esters, known as parabens, which are used as preservatives in cosmetics and some ophthalmic solutions. It is isomeric with 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, known as salicylic acid, a precursor to aspirin, and with 3-hydroxybenzoic acid.
Heptylparaben (heptyl p-hydroxybenzoate) is a compound with formula C7H15(C6H4OHCOO). It is a paraben which is the heptyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid.
A formaldehyde releaser, formaldehyde donor or formaldehyde-releasing preservative is a chemical compound that slowly releases formaldehyde. Formaldehyde-releasers are added to prevent microbial growth and extend shelf life. The intent of these compounds is that they release formaldehyde at levels that suppress microbial growth but sufficiently low to not threaten humans. The use of these chemicals in cosmetics has elicited controversy.
Sodium bisulfite (or sodium bisulphite, sodium hydrogen sulfite) is a chemical mixture with the approximate chemical formula NaHSO3. Sodium bisulfite in fact is not a real compound, but a mixture of salts that dissolve in water to give solutions composed of sodium and bisulfite ions. It appears in form of white or yellowish-white crystals with an odor of sulfur dioxide. Regardless of its ill-defined nature, sodium bisulfite is used in many different industries such as a food additive with E number E222 in the food industry, a reducing agent in the cosmetic industry, and a decomposer of residual hypochlorite used in the bleaching industry.
Isopropylparaben is a paraben.
Paroxypropione, also known as paraoxypropiophenone, is a synthetic nonsteroidal estrogen which has been used medically as an antigonadotropin in Spain and Italy but appears to no longer be marketed. It was first synthesized in 1902. The antigonadotropic properties of the drug were discovered in 1951 and it entered clinical use shortly thereafter.
Nipastat is the brand name for a mixture of parabens (parahydroxybenzoates) by Clariant, a chemicals company. Parabens are a type of compound used as a preservative in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food. Nipastat is a white powder at room temperature, but is typically dissolved into a liquid product. Nipastat acts to prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast. Nipastat is a mixture of five common parabens: methylparaben (50-60%), butylparaben (12-17%), ethylparaben, (13-18%) propylparaben (6-9%), and isobutylparaben (6-9%). When Nipastat is added to a product, the recommended final weight of Nipastat is between 0.05% and 0.3% of the total weight. Nipastat is stable at a range of pHs between 4 and 8.
