Methylparaben on Your Label

• Cosmetics can contain methylparaben.Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  As a member of the paraben group (chemicals used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals), methylparaben will be listed among the substances on a product's label. Naturally occurring in plants or scientifically engineered, methylparaben has many uses. Without a distinctive aroma or standout coloring, methylparaben unobtrusively becomes a part of many items.
  
  

Methylparaben Uses

• Methylparaben can be found in nature, or created in a lab.Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Cosmetics, with a large water component, make use of methylparaben to stop bacterial growth and to prolong its shelf life. For similar reasons, personal hygiene products have methylparaben as an ingredient. Often used as a food preservative, methylparaben is also employed as a fungicide against the many species of fruit flies.
  
  

Naturally Occurring

• Blueberries have naturally-occuring methylparaben.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Despite its long and scientific-sounding name, methylparaben can be found in certain fruits and vegetables. The most common of these is the blueberry plant. Although typically used as a flavoring, wintergreen plants also have methylparaben. Methylparaben occurs in the flower group birthwort. These include wild ginger, Dutchman's pipe and certain clematis.
  
  

Safe or Not

• Methylparaben is labeled "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) when used in antibacterial products or as a food preservative. Studies indicate methylparaben is nontoxic. Although readily absorbed, it does not accumulate in the body. It is biodegradable and easily broken down by soil bacteria. Products with high levels of methylparaben when applied to the skin and exposed to UVB may increase skin aging and subsequent DNA damage.