Is Sodium Butylparaben safe in cosmetics?
Sodium Butylparaben has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: prohibited. US status: permitted.
Sodium Butylparaben
Also known as: Butyl p-hydroxybenzoate sodium, EINECS 253-049-7, UNII-MAR76J77VS, Butyl-4-hydroxybenzoate sodium salt, Sodium butyl hydroxybenzoate
INCI: SODIUM BUTYLPARABEN
Sodium Butylparaben (CAS 36457-20-2) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Preservative (sodium salt of butylparaben). EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: prohibited, max 0.14%. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 36457-20-2 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Sodium Butylparaben is prohibited in EU cosmetics at max 0.14% but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H318).
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Preservative (sodium salt of butylparaben)
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
sodium 4-butoxycarbonylphenolate
InChIKey
OGBHACNFHJJTQT-UHFFFAOYSA-M
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
prohibited
EU Max Conc.
0.14%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted; FDA considers parabens safe at current use levels; no concentration restrictions under federal law (some state-level restrictions emerging)
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Sodium Butylparaben.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Sensitization Profile
Contact sensitization data for Sodium Butylparaben based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.
Sensitization Rate
low
Allergen Class
preservative
EU Allergen Listed
no
Patch Test Positive Rate
0.2%
Cross-reactivity Group
paraben-group
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis
Source: ESSCA; IVDK; SCCS/1348/10
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
allergen_detail
{"eu_allergen_listed": "no", "allergen_class": "preservative", "cross_reactivity_group": "paraben-group", "patch_test_frequency_pct": "0.2", "sensitization_rate": "low", "common_reaction_type": "contact-dermatitis", "ifra_restricted": "no", "source": "ESSCA; IVDK; SCCS/1348/10"}
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Preservative
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Sodium Butylparaben.
Regulatory Flags
preservative
Known Synonyms
Butyl p-hydroxybenzoate sodium
EINECS 253-049-7
UNII-MAR76J77VS
Butyl-4-hydroxybenzoate sodium salt
Sodium butyl hydroxybenzoate
Chemical Function
Preservative
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sodium Butylparaben allowed in the EU?
Sodium Butylparaben EU regulatory status: prohibited. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.14%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Sodium Butylparaben do in cosmetics?
Sodium Butylparaben functions as: Preservative (sodium salt of butylparaben). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 36457-20-2.
Is Sodium Butylparaben used outside cosmetics?
Sodium Butylparaben also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Sodium Butylparaben have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Sodium Butylparaben is prohibited in EU cosmetics at max 0.14% but has active industrial GHS classifications (H302, H318).
Compliance Tools
Check Sodium Butylparaben compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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Good
Chemical family
Preservative (antimicrobial)
SODIUM (ASTROCARYUM VULGARE/EUTERPE OLERACEAE/PALM) FRUIT/(ASTROCARYUM VULGARE/PALM) KERNEL/(ASTROCARYUM MURUMURU/BABASSU/BERTHOLLETIA EXCELSA/CARAPA GUIANENSIS/COCOA/FEVILLEA TRILOBATA/PASSIFLORA EDULIS/THEOBROMA GRANDIFLORUM) SEEDATE
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