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Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (INCI: Pentylparaben)

CAS 6521-29-5 · 100/100 · High conf.

Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (INCI: Pentylparaben) chemical structure

Concern score

100/100Critical concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (INCI: Pentylparaben) in plain language

What it is

Also known as p-Oxybenzoesaurepentylester · Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate · Pentylparaben · 4-HYDROXYBENZOIC acid n-amyl ester · Amyl p-hydroxybenzoate · Benzoic acid, 4-HYDROXY-, pentyl ester

Show all 18 names

Benzoic acid, p-hydroxy-, pentyl ester · N-amyl 4-HYDROXYBENZOATE · Pentyl p-hydroxybenzoate · Pentyl paraben · 4-10-00-00377 (Beilstein Handbook Reference) · Amyl 4-hydroxybenzoate · Amylparaben · Benzoic acid, 4-​hydroxy-​, pentyl ester · UNII-SJV2E4C7DM · Znssplqzsuwfjt-uhfffaoysa-n · n-Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate · p-Hydroxybenzoic acid pentyl ester

What it does

Used in cosmetics as a preservative.

  • Preservative
Is it a concern?
Critical concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is banned in EU cosmetics.

Why it's flagged

Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (INCI: Pentylparaben) is prohibited in cosmetic products under Annex II of the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009.

RestrictedEU EC — banned

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

Restrictions first, then routine listings from published regulatory sources.

  • EU Annex II — prohibited
  • EU prohibited in cosmetics

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Industrial
  • EUEC

    Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009: substances prohibited in cosmetic products.

    banned
    View source →
  • EUCosIngActiveCosmetics Regulation annex II / ref 1378.
    • Cosmetics Regulation annex II / ref 1378.Source →
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 0 composition records across product categories including unclassified products.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 0 composition records across product categories including unclassified products.Source →
  • USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
    • openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

No expert opinion on file for Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (INCI: Pentylparaben). These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.

  • SCCS

    EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety

    No SCCS opinion on file.

  • CIR

    Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)

    No CIR safety assessment on file.

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (INCI: Pentylparaben) yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

7 data sources

Where this comes from

  • CosIng

    regulatory · updated 2026-09-23

    Open →
  • EU CosIng Cosmetics Regulation Annexes

    regulatory · updated 2015-01-16

    Open →
  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated 2020-02-13

    Open →
  • EPA DSSTox Identifiers

    chemistry · updated 2025-12-29

    Open →
  • FDA GSRS UNII

    registry · updated 2026-02-26

    Open →
  • openFDA Substance

    registry · updated 2026-05-24

    Open →
  • PubChem Live Enrichment

    chemistry · updated 2026-05-17

    Open →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (INCI: Pentylparaben) in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Named organisations

1

Typical roles

Preservative
See products using Pentyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (INCI: Pentylparaben) →