Butylparaben

Butylparaben, or butyl paraben, is a member of the paraben family, which has the formula C₄H₉(C₆H₄(OH)COO). It is used as an antimicrobial preservative in cosmetics such as eye shadow, foundation, sunscreen, facial moisturizer and skin anti-aging treatment. It is also used in medication suspensions, and as a flavoring additive in food. Butylparaben and the paraben family have come to public attention recently, due to a study reporting low concentrations of parabens in breast tumors, around 20.6±4.2 ng/g tissue. However, parabens have not been proven to cause breast cancer. Estimates by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition have found that the average person is exposed to about 37 ng of butylparaben per day.