Most common cosmetic preservatives
We frequently see brands that claim to be “paraben free” and “formaldehyde free.” With so many new brands making this claim it might surprise you to see the frequency at which certain compounds are used for cosmetic preservatives in the industry. Here is a list of the frequency of cosmetic preservatives from 2010 sorted from highest to lowest. I’ll update it when I find new data.
- Methylparaben
- Propylparaben
- Phenoxyethanol
- Butylparaben
- Ethylparaben
- Isobutylparaben
- MIT - (Methylisothiazolinone)
- CMIT / MIT - (Chloromethylisothiazolinone)
- DMDM Hydantoin
- Imidazolidinyl Urea
The primary replacement for parabens has been Phenoxyethanol. We’ll see if that continues to grow in the coming years. Unlikely because it is not nearly as effective as parabens.
