methylparaben

American  

[meth-uhl-par-uh-ben] / ˌmɛθ əlˈpær əˌbɛn /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a common paraben, C 8 H 8 O 3 , widely used in cosmetics and food: methylparabens may be synthetic or occur naturally, especially as insect pheromones, including those produced by queen honeybees.

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Etymology

Origin of methylparaben

First recorded in 1940–45; methyl- + para- ¹ + ben(zoic acid)

Example Sentences

Of the 21 parabens, the four most commonly found in cosmetic and skin-care products are methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and ethylparaben.

From Washington Post • Feb. 15, 2022

They noted if products like hair oil, hair lotion, leave-in conditioners, and relaxers/perms had label ingredients such as hormones, placenta, estrogen, estradiol, estriol, estrone, methylparaben, butyl-paraben, and proplyparaben.

From Scientific American • Mar. 2, 2012

Even a magnifying glass was little help in explaining those obscure polysyllables: propylene glycol, calcium silicate, butylated hydroxyanisole, sorbitan monostearate, methylparaben.

From Time Magazine Archive

There are also three preservatives to lengthen the shelf life of the cream: methylparaben, imidazolidinyl urea and propylparaben.

From Time Magazine Archive