Ingredient
Butylparaben
A paraben preservative under the same tighter limit as propylparaben, with the same restriction for young children's nappy-area products.
- Preservative
What it is there to do
Preservative
Keeps the product free of microbial growth in use.
Where this comes up
The notes BeautySignal puts beside this ingredient when it is on a label.
- Contains parabens
This product contains a paraben preservative. Parabens are permitted in the EU within concentration limits set by the Cosmetics Regulation, and some individual parabens are restricted or prohibited.
Why we mention it
Parabens attract more concern than the regulatory position supports, and the honest answer is specific: some are permitted within limits, some are not. Saying "dangerous" would be wrong; saying nothing would be unhelpful.
What the rules say
Each line names the rule it comes from. A limit is not a warning.
EU · Restricted
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex V, entry 12a
What it sets out
Maximum 0.14 % as acid, single ester or mixture. Packs don't print concentrations and we hold none, so no page here measures a product against it.
Not permitted in leave-on products designed for application to the nappy area of children under three years.
What we don't know
- Where it comes from — plant, mineral, synthetic — isn't recorded.
- How much of it is used in any particular product. We hold no concentrations at all.
This is information about an ingredient, not medical advice, and not a judgement about any product that contains it. Back to the reference.