Compoatlas

POTASSIUM PARABEN

Official label name (INCI name, EU glossary of cosmetic ingredient names), No 22736

POTASSIUM PARABEN: Preservative allowed under conditions, with limits depending on the product type (Annex V, entry 12), under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.

In plain words

What it is used for

Functions declared by manufacturers:

Preservative: inhibits primarily the development of micro-organisms in cosmetics.

What the rules say

An ingredient can be used as a preservative only if it appears on the list of Annex V. <function plain_language.<locals>.name at 0x7f7805acf560> is on it with a maximum concentration.

The text of the annexes

Preservative allowed under conditions

This entry covers the same substance as POTASSIUM PARABEN (same CAS number in the CosIng inventory): its conditions apply.

Entry
Annex V, No 12
Substance
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid and its Methyl- and Ethyl-esters, and their salts
Glossary names
4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID / METHYLPARABEN /POTASSIUM ETHYLPARABEN /POTASSIUM PARABEN /SODIUM METHYLPARABEN /SODIUM ETHYLPARABEN /ETHYLPARABEN /SODIUM PARABEN / POTASSIUM METHYLPARABEN / CALCIUM PARABEN
CAS
99-96-7 /99-76-3 /36457-19-9 /16782-08-4 /5026-62-0 /35285-68-8 /120-47-8 /114-63-6 /26112-07-2 /69959-44-0
EC
202-804-9 /202-785-7 /253-048-1 /240-830-2 /225-714-1 /252-487-6 /204-399-4 /204-051-1 /247-464-2 /274-235-4
Maximum concentration
0,4% (as acid) for single ester 0,8% (as acid) for mixtures of esters
Dates in the act (5)
  • Entry into force on 16 October 2014
  • Application from 16 April 2015
    It shall apply from 16 April 2015.
  • Entry into force on 16 April 2015
  • Placing on the market from 16 April 2015
    From 16 April 2015 only cosmetic products which comply with this Regulation shall be placed on the Union market
  • Making available from 16 October 2015
    From 16 October 2015 only cosmetic products which comply with this Regulation shall be made available on the Union market

Excerpts from the English text published in the Official Journal. A date may concern only some substances of the act: the excerpt says so.

Identity

CosIng identifier
37011
CAS (according to CosIng)
16782-08-4
EC (according to CosIng)
240-830-2
Declared functions
Preservative
Wikidata
Q27291088
ECHA InfoCard
100.037.103
InChIKey
DKGFIVSGQRBSOG-UHFFFAOYSA-M

Elsewhere in the world

Information on other jurisdictions. What is covered, and what is not yet.

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

  • Preservative allowed under conditions (Annex V)

Same entries as in the European Union. Conditions (concentrations, warnings) may differ: they are not compared here.

Switzerland

Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 applies in Switzerland (Article 54 of the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles).

United States, federal rules

None of the integrated sections of the federal code (21 CFR 700.11 to 700.27 and 250.250) targets this name. The FDA does not publish a list of allowed ingredients.

South Korea

  • Restricted: p-하이드록시벤조익애씨드, 그 염류 및 에스텔류 (다만, 에스텔류 중 페닐은제외)

    별표 2, 보존제 성분 (preservatives), entry 57, page 12-13. Limit: ․단일성분일 경우 0.4%(산으로서) ․혼합사용의 경우 0.8%(산으로서). Conditions (source text, in Korean): 화학물질명: 4-하이드록시벤조익애씨드 (CAS No. 99-96-7) | 화학물질명: 메틸파라벤 (CAS No. 99-76-3) | 화학물질명: 부틸파라벤 (CAS No. 94-26-8) | 화학물질명: 소듐메틸파라벤 (CAS No. 5026-62-0) | 화학물질명: 소듐부틸파라벤 (CAS No. 36457-20-2) | 화학물질명: 소듐에틸파라벤 (CAS No. 35285-68-8) | 화학물질명: 소듐이소부틸파라벤 (CAS No. 84930-15-4) | 화학물질명: 소듐프로필파라벤 (CAS No. 35285-69-9) | 화학물질명: 에틸파라벤 (CAS No. 120-47-8) | 화학물질명: 이소부틸파라벤 (CAS No. 4247-02-3) | 화학물질명: 이소프로필파라벤 (CAS No. 4191-73-5) | 화학물질명: 프로필파라벤 (CAS No. 94-13-3) | 화학물질명: 포타슘메틸파라벤 (CAS No. 26112-07-2) | 화학물질명: 포타슘부틸파라벤 (CAS No. 38566-94-8) | 화학물질명: 포타슘에틸파라벤 (CAS No. 36457-19-9) | 화학물질명: 포타슘파라벤 (CAS No. 16782-08-4) | 화학물질명: 포타슘프로필파라벤 (CAS No. 84930-16-5) | 화학물질명: 소듐이소프로필파라벤 | 화학물질명: 소듐파라벤 (CAS No. 114-63-6) | 화학물질명: 칼슘파라벤 (CAS No. 69959-44-0)

Brazil

  • Allowed under conditions: Ácido 4-hidroxibenzóico, seus ésteres de metil e etilo, e seus sais (4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID/ METHYLPARABEN/ POTASSIUM ETHYLPARABEN/ POTASSIUM PARABEN/ SODIUM METHYLPARABEN/ SODIUM ETHYLPARABEN/ ETHYLPARABEN/SODIUM PARABEN/ POTASSIUM METHYLPARABEN/ CALCIUM PARABEN)

    RDC 528/2021, Anexo (allowed preservatives), entry 11, page 3. Limit: -0,4% (expresso como ácido) para cada substância considerada em forma individual. -0,8% (expresso como ácido) para a soma das concentrações individuais de ácido 4-p-hidroxibenzóico, seus ésteres de metil e etil e seus sais contidos no produto.. Conditions (source text, in Portuguese): LIMITAÇÕES: Proibidos: isopropilparabeno, isobutilparabeno, fenilparabeno, benzilparabeno e pentilparabeno.

Glossary: Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175. Page updated on 21 October 2026.