FDA has received a number of inquiries on the safety of parabens as used in cosmetics.
The following information is intended to answer questions on this subject.

What are parabens ?
Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetic products. Chemically, parabens are esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The most common parabens used in cosmetic products are methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. Typically, more than one paraben is used in a product, and they are often used in combination with other types of preservatives to provide preservation against a broad range of microorganisms. The use of mixtures of parabens allows the use of lower levels of actives while increasing preservative activity.

Why are preservatives used in cosmetics ?
Preservatives may be used in cosmetics to protect them against microbial growth, both to protect consumers and to maintain product integrity.
Cosmetics sold on a retail basis to consumers are required by law to declare ingredients on the label. This is important information for consumers who want to determine whether a product contains an ingredient they wish to avoid. Parabens are usually easy to identify by name, such as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or benzylparaben.

Early this year the media reported that English researchers identified parabens in samples of breast tumors.
According to the lead researcher of the recent study, Philippa Darbre, an oncology expert at the university of Reading, in Edinburgh, the chemical form of the parabens found in 18 of the 20 tumors tested indicated that they originated from something applied to the skin, the most likely candidates being deodorants, antiperspirants, creams, or body sprays.

The authors of this study write in their paper: "This adds parabens to the list of environmental estrogenic chemicals that can be found to accumulate in the human breast and already includes polychlorinated byphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)." This also raises the issue of possible interactions between all these chemicals and the influence that might have on their toxicity.