Ingredient
Methylparaben
Caution
What is this ingredient, what does it do?
Preservative (paraben, debated)
What is it, what should you do?
The paraben family that protects a product from mold and bacteria. It is controversial because a weak hormone-like effect was seen in cell studies; the EU considers the short-chain ones (methyl, ethyl) safe, restricted the dose of the long-chain ones (propyl, butyl) and banned some. So saying "paraben = cancer" is wrong, and saying "they are all innocent" is also incomplete. If you want to avoid them, finding paraben-free products is now very easy; but if you have used a paraben-containing product, there is no cause for panic.
Other names: Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben
Products with this ingredient
Related ingredients
This is general information, not medical advice. The assessment may vary by skin type.
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