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Cosmetic ingredient dictionary

Ethylparaben in cosmetics: what it is and what it does

Ethylparaben is a cosmetic ingredient that keeps the product from spoiling. The EU lists it as an allowed preservative, with a maximum amount. Open Beauty Facts finds it in 183 products, most often hair care.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check

What does Ethylparaben do in a product?

In a cosmetic product, Ethylparaben keeps the product from spoiling. The EU’s CosIng database lists this job for it: preservative.

preservative

What other names and numbers does Ethylparaben have?

CAS number
120-47-8
EC number
204-399-4
CosIng reference
33899

Is Ethylparaben restricted in the EU?

It is allowed, on a list with limits. The EU lists it as an allowed preservative, with a maximum amount (Annex V of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 12).

The annex entry sets the exact limits, the products it may be used in and any warning the label must carry.

Which products contain Ethylparaben?

Open Beauty Facts finds Ethylparaben in the ingredient lists of 183 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often hair care, body care and shampoos.

  • Hair care17
  • Body care15
  • Shampoos9
  • Body creams8

Products with it, by country of sale: France 66 · Spain 15 · Germany 14 · United States 13.

Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Ethylparaben turns up, not how much of the market it is.

On these listsPreservatives

Bravoora reads this ingredient for everyone you shop for: an allergy or intolerance, a vegan or vegetarian diet, a calorie or protein goal, and the labels on supplements and skincare too. Build a profile · For dermatologists, dietitians and doctors

Sources

The job, the description and the EU annex entry are CosIng’s; the fragrance allergens are the EU Annex III names Bravoora’s label checker reads; the product counts are Open Beauty Facts’.

  1. European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
  2. Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
  3. EU Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (the annexes)

Contains information from Open Beauty Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Read the licence · Download this dictionary’s data · How we check

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