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Cosmetic ingredient dictionary

Methylparaben in cosmetics: what it is and what it does

Methylparaben 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 696 products, most often body care.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check

What does Methylparaben do in a product?

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

preservative

What other names and numbers does Methylparaben have?

CAS number
99-76-3
EC number
202-785-7
CosIng reference
35342

Is Methylparaben 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 Methylparaben?

Open Beauty Facts finds Methylparaben in the ingredient lists of 696 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often body care, hair care and face care.

  • Body care40
  • Hair care35
  • Face care20

Products with it, by country of sale: France 151 · United States 114 · Australia 45 · Spain 44.

Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Methylparaben 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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