PADIMATE O (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA | PABA ESTER) || Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews

PADIMATE O (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA | PABA ESTER)

Sunscreen Agent; Ultraviolet Light Absorber; UV ABSORBER; UV FILTER

SCORE

	6	moderate hazard
	72%	data gap
(why scores have changed)

Also listed as

ETHYLHEXYL DIMETHYL PABA, BENZOIC ACID, 4- (DIMETHYLAMINO) -, 2-ETHYLHEXYL ESTER; BENZOIC ACID, 4- (DIMETHYLAMINO) -, OCTYL ESTER; 4- (DIMETHYLAMINO) BENZOIC ACID, 2-ETHYLHEXYL ESTER; 2-ETHYLHEXYL 4-DIMETHYL-AMINOBENZOATE; 2-ETHYLHEXYL PARADIMETHYLAMINO BENZOATE; OCTY L DIMETHYL PABA; 2-ETHYLHEXYL ESTER BENZOIC ACID, 4- (DIMETHYLAMINO) -; OCTYL ESTER BENZOIC ACID, 4- (DIMETHYLAMINO) -; 2-ETHYLHEXYL ESTER 4- (DIMETHYLAMINO) BENZOIC ACID; 4- (DIMETHYLAMINO) - 2-ETHYLHEXYL ESTER BENZOIC ACID; 4- (DIMETHYLAMINO) - OCTYL ESTER BENZOIC ACID

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
	Violations, restrictions & warnings
	Allergies/immunotoxicity
	Contamination concerns - NITROSAMINES
	Other strong concerns for this ingredient: Enhanced skin absorption, Biochemical or cellular level changes
	Lesser or emerging concerns for this ingredient: Endocrine disruption, Ecotoxicology, Data gaps
	See products containing PADIMATE O (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA \| PABA ESTER)

About PADIMATE O (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA | PABA ESTER): A derivative of the once-popular PABA sunscreen ingredient, research shows this chemical releases free radicals, damages DNA, has estrogenic activity, and causes allergic reactions in some people.

ingredient UV blocking strength

common sunscreen
concentrations

UV blocking strength

0.8%

5.0%

7.0%

7.5%

8.0%

10.0%

PADIMATE O (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA | PABA ESTER) has reported used in the following product types: lip balm (30); sunscreen: lip balm (26); lipstick (26); sunscreen: SPF less than 15 (9); sunscreen: moisturizer (9); sunscreen: makeup (8); tanning oil (8); sunscreen: SPF 15-30 (8); styling gel/lotion (6); skin fading/lightener (6)

Violations, restrictions & warnings

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Japan - restricted for use in some types of cosmetics (concentration limit)		Japan's Standards for Cosmetics

Biochemical or cellular level changes

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Produces excess reactive oxygen species that can interfere with cellular signaling, cause mutations, lead to cell death and may be implicated in cardiovascular disease.		Allen, 1996
Produces excess reactive oxygen species that can interfere with cellular signaling, cause mutations, lead to cell death and may be implicated in cardiovascular disease.		McHugh PJ, Knowland J, 1997

Endocrine disruption

type of concern	product conditions	reference
One or more studies show weak endocrine disruption		Gomez, 2005

Cancer

type of concern

product conditions

reference

One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results

Gulston, 1999

Allergies/immunotoxicity

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Associated with immunotoxicity		Rodriguez E, Valbuena MC, Rey M, Porras de Quintana L, 2006

Ecotoxicology

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Suspected to be an environmental toxin		Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List

Enhanced skin absorption

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Penetration enhancer		Krishnan, 2004
Penetration enhancer		Pont AR, Charron AR, Brand RM, 2004

Persistence and bioaccumulation

type of concern

product conditions

reference

Not suspected to be persistent

Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful		Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List

Data gaps

type of concern	product conditions	reference
Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel
3,322 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results ->		PubMed

Government, industry, academic studies and classifications

government/industry list/academic study	appears on list as	classification(s)
Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List	BENZOIC ACID, 4-(DIMETHYLAMINO)-, 2-ETHYLHEXYL ESTER	•This chemical was NOT flagged by CEPA for further attention. The chemical was flagged for suspected aquatic toxicity.
European Commission on Endocrine Disruption	2-ETHYL-HEXYL-4-DIMETHYL-AMINOBENZOATE	•No evidence of endocrine disrupting activity or no data available. •No evidence of endocrine disrupting activity or no data available.
Japan's Standards for Cosmetics	2-ETHYLHEXYL P-DIMETHYLAMINOBENZOATE	•Japan - restricted for use in some types of cosmetics (concentration limit)
Japan's Standards for Cosmetics	2-ETHYLHEXYL P-DIMETHYLAMINOBENZOATE	•Japan - restricted for use in some types of cosmetics (concentration limit)
Japan's Standards for Cosmetics	2-ETHYLHEXYL P-DIMETHYLAMINOBENZOATE	•Japan - restricted for use in some types of cosmetics (concentration limit)
Allen, 1996	PADIMATE O (PABA ESTER) (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA)	Produces damaging reactive oxygen species upon exposure to sunlight
Dunkel, 1992	PADIMATE O (PABA ESTER) (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA)	May contain a N-nitrosamine contaminant, a class of chemicals linked to cancer
Gomez, 2005	PADIMATE O (PABA ESTER) (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA)	Weakly estrogenic in vitro
Gulston, 1999	PADIMATE O (PABA ESTER) (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA)	Produces DNA strand breaks upon exposure to sunlight
Hayden, 2005	PADIMATE O (PABA ESTER) (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA)	Absorbed through human skin in vitro at less than 0.25%
Knowland, 1993	PADIMATE O (PABA ESTER) (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA)	Mutagenic to DNA when exposed to sunlight
McHugh, 1997	PADIMATE O (PABA ESTER) (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA)	Produces DNA strand breaks upon exposure to sunlight
Krishnan, 2004	PADIMATE O (PABA ESTER) (OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA)	•penetration enhancer: alter(s) skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin, increasing the amounts of other chemicals that reach the bloodstream
Rodriguez E, Valbuena MC, Rey M, Porras de Quintana L, 2006	OCTYL DIMETHYL PABA	Limited evidence of photoallergic contact dermatitis to octyl dimethyl PABA.
Pont AR, Charron AR, Brand RM, 2004	PADIMATE-O	Increased penetration (additional 58.2%) of 2,4D (a pesticide) following application of Padimate-O to hairless mice.
Loeppky, R, 1991	PADIMATE-O	Padimate-O and the corresponding ethyl ester nitrosate rapidly at 25 degrees C to produce 2 nitrosamines.
McHugh PJ, Knowland J, 1997	PADIMATE-O	An in vitro test shows the photomutagenic sunscreen Padimate-0 attacks DNA on illumination.

references

government/industry list/academic study	reference
Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List	EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
European Commission on Endocrine Disruption	EU (European Union)- Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007. Commision on endocrin disruption requested by the European Parliament in 1998.
Japan's Standards for Cosmetics	Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. 2006. Standards for Cosmetics. Evaluation and Licensing Division. Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau.
Open scientific literature	{Allen, 1996}
Open scientific literature	{Dunkel, 1992}
Open scientific literature	{Gomez, 2005}
Open scientific literature	{Gulston, 1999}
Open scientific literature	{Hayden, 2005}
Open scientific literature	{Knowland, 1993}
Open scientific literature	{McHugh, 1997}
Open scientific literature	{Krishnan, 2004}
Open scientific literature	Rodriguez E, Valbuena MC, Rey M, Porras de Quintana L. 2006. Causal agents of photoallergic contact dermatitis diagnosed in the national institute of dermatology of Colombia. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 22(4): 189-192.
Open scientific literature	Pont AR, Charron AR, Brand RM. 2004. Active ingredients in sunscreens act as topical penetration enhancers for the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 195(3): 348-354.
Open scientific literature	Loeppky, R. N., R. Hastings, et al. (1991). "Nitrosation of tertiary aromatic amines related to sunscreen ingredients." IARC Sci Publ(105): 244-52.
Open scientific literature	McHugh PJ, Knowland J. Characterization of DNA damage inflicted by free radicals from a mutagenic sunscreen ingredient and its location using an in vitro genetic reversion assay. Photochem Photobiol. 1997 Aug;66(2):276-81.

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