4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID
Fragrance Ingredient; Preservative
Also listed as
BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY-; P-CARBOXYPHENOL; P-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; PARABEN; P-SALICYCLIC ACID; 4-HYDROXY- BENZOIC ACID; PARABENS; BENZOIC ACID, 4HYDROXY; P-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; P-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID; 4-CARBOXYPHENOL; ACIDO P-IDROSSIBENZOICO (ITALIAN)
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 |
 | Other strong concerns for this ingredient: Multiple, additive exposure sources |
| Other moderate concerns for this ingredient: Endocrine disruption |
| Lesser or emerging concerns for this ingredient: Neurotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Data gaps |
|
See products containing 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | |
About 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID: 4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid is an aromatic acid.
4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID has reported used in the following product types: makeup remover (1); shaving cream (1)
Endocrine disruption
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Human endocrine disruptor - strong evidence | European Commission on Endocrine Disruption | |
| show more | ||
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Used in food or as an additive with limited or no toxicity information available | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at low doses | RTECS®- Environmental Research 1997 |
Neurotoxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show brain, nervous system, or behavioral effects at moderate doses | RTECS®- Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Scientific Edition 1956 | |
| show more | ||
Cancer
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 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 | |
| show more | ||
Data gaps
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel | ||
| 724 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 persistent | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| show more | ||
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) |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | • There is reported use of the substance, but it has not yet been assigned for toxicology literature search. |
| European Commission on Endocrine Disruption | P-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | •Evidence of endocrine disrupting activity in at least one species using intact animals, high human health concern. •No evidence of endocrine disrupting activity or no data available. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | BENZOIC ACID, 4-HYDROXY- | •This chemical was NOT flagged by CEPA for further attention. |
| RTECS®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1960 | 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Drug Standards 1952 | 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Environmental Research 1997 | 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | • reproductive - Uterus, cervix, vagina (mouse TDLo) • endocrine system - Changes in uterine weight (mouse TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya 1986 | 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | • liver - Changes in liver weight (rat TDLo) • brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Muscle weakness (rat LD50) • kidney or renal system - Other changes (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya 1984 | 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | • metabolic - Weight loss or decreased weight gain (rat TDLo) • kidney or renal system - Changes in tubules (including acute renal failure, acute tubular (rat TDLo) • liver - Other changes (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Applied Toxicology (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 2003 | 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | • endocrine system - Changes in uterine weight (mouse TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Scientific Edition 1956 | 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | • brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Ataxia (mouse LD50) • brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Flaccid paralysis without anesthesia (usually neuromuscular blockage) (mouse LD50) • brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Somnolence (general depressed activity) (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2002 | 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster lng) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
| European Commission on Endocrine Disruption | EU (European Union)- Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007. Commision on endocrin disruption requested by the European Parliament in 1998. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| 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 |
| RTECS®- Drug Standards 1952 | RTECS®- Drug Standards. (Washington, DC) V.19-28, 1951-60. For publisher information, see JPMSAE. 20,89,1952 |
| RTECS®- Environmental Research 1997 | RTECS®- Environmental Research. (Academic Press, Inc., 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802) V.1- -1967 75,130,1997 |
| RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya 1986 | RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya. For English translation, see HYSAAV. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095 Moscow, USSR) V.1- 1936- 51(1),85,1986 |
| RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya 1984 | RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya. Labor Hygiene and Occupational Diseases. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095 Moscow, USSR) V.1-36, 1957-1992. For publisher information, see MTPEEI 28(7),53,1984 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Applied Toxicology (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 2003 | RTECS®- Journal of Applied Toxicology (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Oldlands Way Bognor Regis West Sussex, PO22 9SA England) V.1- 1981- 23,285,2003 |
| RTECS®- Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Scientific Edition 1956 | RTECS®- Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Scientific Edition. (Washington, DC) V.29-49, 1940-60. For publisher information, see JPMSAE. 45,260,1956 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2002 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- -1964 517,187,2002 |
"RTECS®" is a United States trademark owned and licensed under authority of the U.S. Government, by and through MDL Information Systems, Inc.
Copyright © 2010 by Environmental Working Group
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