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. 2013 Jul-Aug;18(5):5-7.

An overview of parabens and allergic contact dermatitis

Farhaan Hafeez  1 , Howard Maibach
Affiliations
  • PMID: 24305662
Free article

An overview of parabens and allergic contact dermatitis

Farhaan Hafeez et al. Skin Therapy Lett. 2013 Jul-Aug.
Free article

Abstract

Esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens) are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and industrial products. However, since the 1960s, controversy has surrounded its use and safety as a potential cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Despite the cloud of suspicion that has hovered over parabens ever since, these ubiquitous compounds have withstood four decades of extensive skin testing conducted by a variety of organizations, both North American and European, and now, it seems parabens have shown to be one of the least sensitizing preservatives in commercial use. Of the very limited reports of paraben-induced allergic contact dermatitis, these cases are often attributable to the application of parabens on damaged skin.

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