European Regulators Find ‘No Safe Level’ of Hormone-Disrupting Chemical Common in Cosmetics

A notoriously hazardous cosmetic ingredient now has another black mark on its record: Butylparaben – a hormone-disrupting chemical used as a preservative in personal care products and linked to cancer, sperm damage and environmental harm – was recently classified by the European Chemicals Agency as a substance of very high concern.

The agency, known as ECHA, could not identify a safe level of exposure to butylparaben. Once chemicals are classified as substances of very high concern, they are placed on the so-called Candidate List, and ECHA says “our aim is to gradually phase them out.”

For years, EWG has called for the removal from cosmetics of long-chain parabens, including butylparaben. Under mounting public pressure, led in part by EWG, many cosmetic manufacturers have taken steps to remove the concerning parabens from their products.

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