ISOPROPYLPARABEN || Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews

ISOPROPYLPARABEN

Preservative

SCORE

	3	moderate hazard
	81%	data gap
(why scores have changed)

Also listed as

BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-, 1-METHYLETHYL ESTER; P-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID ISOPROPYL ESTER; 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID, 1-METHYLETHYL ESTER; ISOPROPYL P-HYDROXYBENZOATE; 1-METHYLETHYL-4-HYDROXYBENZOATE; PARAHYDROXYBENZOATE, ISOPROPYL ESTER; BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY, 1-METHYLETHYL ESTER, SODIUM SALT; 1-METHYLETHYL ESTER BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-; 1-METHYLETHYL ESTER 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; ISOPROPYL ESTER PARAHYDROXYBENZOATE; SODIUM SALT BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY, 1-METHYLETHYL ESTER

Given the incomplete information made available by companies and the government, EWG provides additional information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature. The chart below indicates that research studies have found that exposure to this ingredient -- not the products containing it -- caused the indicated health effect(s) in the studies reviewed by Skin Deep researchers. Actual health risks, if any, will vary based on the level of exposure to the ingredient and individual susceptibility -- information not available in Skin Deep.

This ingredient:
	Cancer
	Developmental/reproductive toxicity
	Restrictions & warnings
	Allergies/immunotoxicity
	Contamination concerns
	Lesser or emerging concerns for this ingredient: Endocrine disruption, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Data gaps
	See products containing ISOPROPYLPARABEN

About ISOPROPYLPARABEN: Isopropylparaben is in the parabens family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen, are potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors, and were found in the breast cancer tumors of 19 of 20 women studied (Darbre 2004). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested urine from a group of 2,548 Americans over the age of 6 and found parabens in over 99% of samples (Calafat 2010). Isopropylparaben is closely re ... read more

ISOPROPYLPARABEN has reported used in the following product types: lipstick (93); lip gloss (54); lip plumper (37); eye shadow (37); mascara (37); eye liner (24); foundation (20); blush (20); facial moisturizer/treatment (19); hair color and bleaching (15)

Allergies/immunotoxicity

type of concern

product conditions

reference

Human skin toxicant - strong evidence

Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Endocrine disruption

type of concern

product conditions

reference

One or more studies show weak endocrine disruption

Byford JR, Shaw LE, Drew MG, Pope GS, Sauer MJ, Darbre PD, 2002

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

type of concern

product conditions

reference

One or more animal studies show broad systemic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient)

RTECS^®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1960

Data gaps

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Safety assessment was based on related chemical		Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
6 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results ->		PubMed

Persistence and bioaccumulation

type of concern

product conditions

reference

Not suspected to be bioaccumulative

Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Ecotoxicology

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Not suspected to be an environmental toxin		Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Government, industry, academic studies and classifications

government/industry list/academic study	appears on list as	classification(s)
Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments	ISOPROPYLPARABEN	•Safe as used in cosmetics according to industry panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) •Determined safe for use in cosmetics based on concentrations of surrogate, related chemical in cosmetics, by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) • •Safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) is based on safety or product use data for a different, related ingredient •Sensitizer - can instigate immune system response that can include itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin
Vo TT, Jeung EB, 2009	ISOPROPYLPARABEN	In a rat study, isopropylparaben increased the uterine weight and changed the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors, thus exhibiting estrogen-like properties in vivo.
Vo TT, Yoo YM, Choi KC, Jeung EB, 2010	ISOPROPYLPARABEN	In rat study, isopropylparaben caused a significant delay in the date of vaginal opening, a decrease in length of the estrous cycle and a change in the weights of multiple organs.
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List	BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-, 1-METHYLETHYL ESTER	•This chemical was NOT flagged by CEPA for further attention.
Calafat AM, Ye X, Wong LY, Bishop AM, Needham LL, 2010	ISOPROPYLPARABEN
Darbre PD, Aljarrah A, Miller WR, Coldham NG, Sauer MJ, Pope GS, 2004	ISOPROPYLPARABEN
EU (European Union)- Community Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007	ISOPROPYLPARABEN
Byford JR, Shaw LE, Drew MG, Pope GS, Sauer MJ, Darbre PD, 2002	PARABENS	•Hormonally active (parabens)
Harvell, J, 1994	PARABENS	Parabens listed as one of the agents capable of causing contact urticaria by immunological pathogenetic mechanism.
RTECS^®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1960	ISOPROPYLPARABEN	• broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50)

references

government/industry list/academic study	reference
Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments	CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
Open scientific literature	Vo TT, Jeung EB. 2009. An evaluation of estrogenic activity of parabens using uterine calbindin-d9k gene in an immature rat model. Toxicol Sci 112(1): 68-77.
Open scientific literature	Vo TT, Yoo YM, Choi KC, Jeung EB. 2010. Potential estrogenic effect(s) of parabens at the prepubertal stage of a postnatal female rat model. Reprod Toxicol 29(3): 306-16.
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List	EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
Open scientific literature	Calafat AM, Ye X, Wong LY, Bishop AM, Needham LL. 2010. Urinary concentrations of four parabens in the U.S. population: NHANES 2005-2006. Environ Health Perspect 118(5): 679-85.
Open scientific literature	Darbre PD, Aljarrah A, Miller WR, Coldham NG, Sauer MJ, Pope GS. 2004. Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumours. J Appl Toxicol 24(1): 5-13.
Open scientific literature	EU (European Union)- Community Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007. Commission on endocrine disruption requested by the European Parliament in 1998. SEC (2007) 1635.
EWG Assessment of Open Scientific Literature	Byford JR, Shaw LE, Drew MG, Pope GS, Sauer MJ, Darbre PD. Oestrogenic activity of parabens in MCF7 human breast cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2002 Jan;80(1):49-60.
Open scientific literature	Harvell, J., M. Bason and H. Maibach. Contact Urticaria and its Mechanisms. Food Chemistry and Toxicology 32(2): 103-112. 1994. (Table 2: Substances identified as capable of causing contact urticaria).
RTECS^®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1960	RTECS^®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie. (Heymans Institute of Pharmacology, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium) V.4- 1898- 128,135,1960

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