NOAEL Data SVHC REACH Registered Cosmetic Ingredient

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester

Also known as: Butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate, Butyl p-hydroxybenzoate, n-Butyl-p-hydroxybenzoate, BRN 1103741, n-Butyl hydroxybenzoate (+9 more)

CAS 94-26-8

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester (CAS 94-26-8) is a chemical substance; key hazard signal: Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57(f) - human health). Key regulatory status: SVHC Candidate List, REACH registered, 60 regulatory/inventory lists, cosmetic ingredient cross-reference; source data from EPA ToxValDB, EPA CPDat, AICIS, SCCS, ECHA REACH, ECHA SVHC.

View cosmetic safety profile for Butylparaben →

Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester is classified GHS Danger (H315, H318, H319, H335, H412) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.14% (as acid).

SOURCE Cross-vertical comparison Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code

SOURCE NOAEL studies

NOAEL studies

SOURCE Chemical inventory jurisdictions

Regulatory lists

SOURCE EU CLP Annex VI

GHS signal

Not classified

Chemical Identity

CAS, identifiers, formula, and alternate names for the matched substance record.

SOURCE DSSTox identifiers 19 fields

Name

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester

CAS Number

94-26-8

Molecular Formula

C11H14O3

InChI Key

QFOHBWFCKVYLES-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Monoisotopic Mass

194.094294

Synonyms

Butyl 4-hydroxybenzoateButyl p-hydroxybenzoaten-Butyl-p-hydroxybenzoateBRN 1103741n-Butyl hydroxybenzoaten-Butyl parahydroxybenzoateButyl-ParaseptCaswell No. 130AEINECS 202-318-7EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 061205FEMA No. 2203FEMA Number 2203

Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC)

Candidate List status and reason under the ECHA REACH SVHC program.

SOURCE ECHA 1 records

Substance	Reason	Included
Butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate	Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57(f) - human health)	25-Jun-2020

Functional Uses

Industrial and product-use categories associated with this substance.

SOURCE EPA CPDat 24 records

PreservativeDeodorizerFragranceFlavouring and nutrientFood preservative

Regulatory Lists

Inventory, screening, and regulatory list matches from public chemical databases.

SOURCE EPA CPDat 60 records

List	Keyword	Source
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides	Commission of the European Communities	CPCat
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue	EU	CPCat
Europe	European Commission	Fl@vis
Personal care; Southeast Asia	Asean	ASEAN Cosmetics
IFRA Transparency	IFRA	IFRA
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides	EPA	CPCat
food_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)	FDA	United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
air; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interior	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
detected; Europe; Vehicle - car interior	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; WA Children's Safe Product Act (4/2020)	State of Washington Department of Ecology	State of Washington
children	Vermont Department of Health	State of Vermont
children	Maine Department of Environmental Protection	State of Maine
Europe; restricted	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children	Oregon Health Authority	State of Oregon
artificial_sweat; detected; emissions; Europe; Toys and children's products	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
Europe; pharmaceutical	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
detected; Personal care; Southeast Asia	Asean	ASEAN Cosmetics
Europe; Personal care - body hygiene - hand soap	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; Europe; Personal care	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; Europe; Personal care - general moisturizing - hand/body lotion	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; Europe; Personal care - body hygiene - body wash	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; Europe; Personal care - hair styling and care - shampoo	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; Europe; Personal care - specialized bath products - bubble bath	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; Europe; Personal care	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; Europe; Personal care	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; Europe; Personal care	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
children; Europe; Personal care	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
detected; Europe; Personal care - sexual wellness	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
detected; Europe; Personal care - sexual wellness	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
detected; MN Chemical Screening; surface_water	Minnesota Pollution Control Agency	State of Minnesota
Canada; pharmaceutical	DrugBank	DrugBank
Canada; pharmaceutical	DrugBank	DrugBank
Arts and crafts/Office supplies - general arts and crafts supplies - arts and crafts paint; Europe	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
consumer_product; Europe	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
Europe; nondetect; Other direct contact consumer goods - apparel	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
Europe; Personal care - hair styling and care - shampoo-dandruff	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
Europe; nondetect; Personal care - sexual wellness	Danish Environmental Protection Agency	Danish EPA
nondetect; Toys and children's products	State of Washington Department of Ecology	State of Washington
nondetect; Toys and children's products	State of Washington Department of Ecology	State of Washington
detected; Toys and children's products	State of Washington Department of Ecology	State of Washington

NOAEL Studies

Toxicology endpoints rendered from public NOAEL study rows.

SOURCE NOAEL studies Showing 50 of 72 studies

Value	Unit	Endpoint	Route	Species	Source
2	%	-	oral	rat	Regulatory source
=2	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
2	mg/ kg bw /day	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
=10	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	-	Regulatory source
=10	mg/kg bw	-	-	mouse	Regulatory source
26.9	mg/kg	-	-	mouse	Regulatory source
93	-	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
=100	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
100	mg/kg bw/ day	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
=150	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
310	mg/kg	-	-	mouse	Regulatory source
325	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
400	mg/kg bw/day	-	oral	rat	Regulatory source
400	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
900	mg/kg bw/day	-	oral	mouse	Regulatory source
940	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
949	mg/kg/day	-	-	mouse	Regulatory source
949	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	mouse	Regulatory source
950	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	-	Regulatory source
950	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	mouse	Regulatory source
1000	mg/kg/day	-	-	-	Regulatory source
1000	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	rat	Regulatory source
1504	mg/kg/day	-	oral	mouse	Regulatory source
1504	mg/kg bw/day	-	-	-	Regulatory source
5000	ppm	-	-	-	Regulatory source
1.000e+4	ppm	-	oral	rat	Regulatory source
4.687	uM	AC50	-	-	NTP ICE endocrine
4.110e+4	nM	AC50/EC50/IC50	-	-	NTP ICE endocrine
6.800e+4	nM	AC50/EC50/IC50	-	-	NTP ICE endocrine
6.200e+5	nM	AC50/EC50/IC50	-	-	NTP ICE endocrine
1.989	uM	ACC	-	-	NTP ICE endocrine
39.3	uL/min/10^6 cells	Clint	-	Human	NTP ICE adme parameters
271	uL/min/10^6 cells	Clint	-	Rat	NTP ICE adme parameters
3QPI1U3FV8	UNII	FDA UNII substance identifier	-	-	openFDA substances
0.0356	fraction	Fu	-	Rat	NTP ICE adme parameters
0.04157	fraction	Fu	-	Human	NTP ICE adme parameters
1.730e+4	nM	IC01	-	-	NTP ICE endocrine
7100	nM	IC50	-	-	NTP ICE endocrine
=7	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Mouse	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=21	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Mouse	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=50	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Mouse	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=70	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Mouse	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=100	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Rat	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=200	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Rat	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=210	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Rat	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=400	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Rat	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=600	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Rat	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=800	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Rat	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
=1000	mg/kg bw/day	LEL	injection	Rat	ToxValDB Uterotrophic Hershberger DB
1.000e+4	nM	LEL	-	-	NTP ICE endocrine

Showing 50 of 72 studies

REACH Registration

Registration status from the ECHA REACH registered substances database.

SOURCE ECHA 1 records

Status	Name	EC Number	Link
Registered	butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate	202-318-7	ECHA overview →

Australian Status (AICIS)

Australian industrial chemicals inventory status and applicable conditions.

SOURCE AICIS inventory 1 records

Inventory Status

listed

SCCS Opinions

EU Scientific Committee opinions tied to the matched substance.

SOURCE SCCS Opinion 3 opinions

Opinion	Date	Conclusion	Max Conc.	Concerns
SCCS/1674/25	30 April 2025	Safe with restrictions — safe individually but not in combination at 0.14% for children aged 0.5–10 years	Rinse-off: 0.14%; Leave-on: 0.002%; Oral care: 0.092%	Endocrine disruption (anti-androgenic); aggregate exposure concerns in children; requires separate assessment from adult use
SCCS/1651/23	26 October 2023	Safe — safe at 0.14% (as acid); separate opinion issued for children's exposure	0.14% (as acid)	Endocrine disruption potential (anti-androgenic activity); children's exposure flagged for separate opinion
SCCP/1017/06	10 October 2006	As explained in detail under section 3 of the present opinion, the tests provided in Submission I of February 2006 contain too many shortcomings in order to be considered as scientifically valid. Therefore, the conclusion of opinion SCCP/0873/05 remains unchanged.	-	Submission I (February 2006) tests contain too many shortcomings to be scientifically valid; the conclusion of the earlier opinion SCCP/0873/05 remains unchanged.

Cosmetic Safety Profile

Same-CAS cosmetic ingredient record for cross-vertical context.

SOURCE CosIng / Ingredients DB

EU Status

restricted

Max

0.14% (as acid)

Pharmaceutical Data

Same-CAS pharmaceutical records from drug and bioactivity sources.

SOURCE ChEMBL / DailyMed BUTYLPARABEN

ChEMBL Phase

-1

Adverse Events

Bioactivity

View full pharmaceutical profile →

Food Safety Data

Same-CAS food additive, ADI, and GRAS records where available.

SOURCE EFSA 1 records

ADI: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent mg/kg bw

View full food safety profile →

Cannabis Data

Same-CAS cannabis compliance and lab records where available.

SOURCE Cannabis regulatory / lab data efsa substances

1 cannabis record found in efsa substances.

View full cannabis profile →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NOAEL for 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester?

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester has 72 NOAEL studies in the database. The lowest reported value is 0.0356 fraction in Rat. Source: NTP ICE adme parameters.

What regulatory lists include 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester?

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester appears on 31 regulatory/inventory lists including active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides, active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue, Europe, and 28 more. Source: EPA CPDat.

Is 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC)?

Yes, 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester is listed on the ECHA REACH Candidate List as a Substance of Very High Concern. Reason: Endocrine disrupting properties (Article 57(f) - human health). Source: ECHA SVHC Candidate List.

Is 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester used in cosmetics?

Yes, 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester is also indexed as a cosmetic ingredient under the name Butylparaben. View the full cosmetic safety profile on the ingredient page for detailed safety data, SCCS opinions, and regulatory status.

Where does the safety data for 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester come from?

Safety data is sourced from EPA ToxValDB, EPA CPDat, AICIS (Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme), EPA DSSTox, ECHA REACH, ECHA SVHC Candidate List, CosIng / Ingredients DB, ChEMBL / DailyMed, EFSA / FDA GRAS, cannabis regulatory/lab databases. All data traces to primary regulatory sources and is updated from official government databases.

Does 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester is classified GHS Danger (H315, H318, H319, H335, H412) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.14% (as acid).

Is 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester used outside industrial chemicals?

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester also appears in cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food safety, cannabis databases.