Butylparaben is a chemical compound, butyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid.
It appears as a fine white powder.
What it is used for and where
It is used as a preservative against:
- preservative
- antibacterial
- anti-mould
- fungicide
Found in :
- Shaving creams
- Moisturisers
- Shampoo
Like all members of the paraben family, it can give rise to allergies and DNA damage.
In a 2020 study, six parabens were compared in a cytotoxicity test with two in vitro toxicological methods and the results classified Butylparaben as positive (1).
Parabens
Parabens are preservative chemical compounds that have been the subject of attention in the scientific literature as possible endocrine disruptors (particularly propylparaben and butylparaben), i.e. with the possibility of damaging the hormone-producing glands in our bodies, particularly in the breasts. The 2004 study by Darbre et al. showed that parabens remain in our bodies as intact esters (2). Following this study, some of the scientific literature in 2005 and 2006 cast doubt on Darbre's conclusions and claimed they were limited. However, both the US FDA and the European SCCP authorised in 2006 the use of a single paraben in cosmetic products at a concentration of 0.4% and the use of total parabens at a concentration of 0.8% (3). However, there is no shortage of studies that consider the restrictions unnecessary: M. G. Kirchhof et al. in 2013 found that parabens are among the safest and most well-tolerated preservatives and that current data do not support drastic regulations or personal exposure restrictions (4). Darbre in 2014 published a further study in which he showed how parabens can cause DNA damage (5).
Typical optimal commercial product characteristics Butylparaben
| Appearance | White fine powder |
| Boiling Point | 309.2±15.0 °C at 760 mmHg |
| Melting Point | 67-70 °C |
| Flash Point | 129.2±13.2°C |
| Density | 1.1±0.1 g/cm3 |
| Water Solubility | <0.1 g/100 mL at 17 ºC |
| Loss on drying | ≤2.0% |
| Impurity | ≤0.1% |
| Heavy metals | ≤10 ppm |
| Residue on ignition | ≤0.1% |
| Vapour Pressure | 0.0±0.7 mmHg at 25°C |
| Index of Refraction | 1.526 |
| PSA | 46.53000 |
| LogP | 3.46 |
| Safety |  |
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- Molecular Formula C11H14O3
- Molecular Weight 194.23 g/mol
- Exact Mass 194.094299
- UNII: 3QPI1U3FV8
- CAS: 94-26-8 8068-49-3 1350551-41-5
- EC Number: 202-318-7
- DSSTox Substance ID DTXSID3020209
- IUPAC butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate
- InChI=1S/C11H14O3/c1-2-3-8-14-11(13)9-4-6-10(12)7-5-9/h4-7,12H,2-3,8H2,1H3
- InChl Key QFOHBWFCKVYLES-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- SMILES CCCCOC(=O)C1=CC=C(C=C1)O
- FEMA Number: 2203
- MDL number MFCD00016478
- Beilstein Registry Number 1103741
- NSC 759303 8475
- JECFA 870
Synonyms:
- Butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate
- Butyl paraben
- Butyl p-hydroxybenzoate
- Nipabutyl
- Tegosept Butyl
- Aseptoform butyl
- Preserval B
- Butyl parahydroxybenzoate
- Butyl-Parasept
- 4-(Butoxycarbonyl)phenol
- n-Butyl parahydroxybenzoate
- Tegosept B
- Butoben
- Butyl chemosept
- Butyl parasept
- Butyl tegosept
- Butyl butex
- Solbrol B
- n-Butyl p-hydroxybenzoate
- Benzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-, butyl ester
- n-Butyl hydroxybenzoate
- n-Butyl-p-hydroxybenzoate
- 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester
- Butylparaben [USAN]
- butyl-p-hydroxybenzoate
