Sodium Methylparaben
What Sodium Methylparaben is & what it does
Sodium Methylparaben is the sodium salt of methylparaben, a member of the paraben family of preservatives. In skincare and sunscreen formulas it is used to prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast, helping a product stay safe and stable over its shelf life. Its water-soluble salt form makes it easier to incorporate into water-based formulas than methylparaben itself.
Is Sodium Methylparaben safe?
Sodium Methylparaben is a widely used preservative, and parabens have been reviewed by cosmetic safety bodies for use at the low levels found in personal care products. Its job is to keep products free of harmful microbial growth. As with any preservative, some people may prefer to avoid it or may be sensitive to it, so a patch test is reasonable if you have reactive skin.
What does Sodium Methylparaben do in skincare?
Sodium Methylparaben acts as a preservative. It helps prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast in a product, which protects both the formula and the user over the product's shelf life. Being the sodium salt of methylparaben, it dissolves easily in water-based formulas.
Is Sodium Methylparaben natural or synthetic?
Sodium Methylparaben is a synthetic ingredient, produced through chemical processing to create a stable, water-soluble preservative salt. While some paraben-type compounds occur in nature, the version used in cosmetics is manufactured for consistency and purity.
Sunscreens with Sodium Methylparaben
We rate 8 sunscreens that contain it:
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Azclear Action Day Moisturiser (2021 Reformulation)
92/100
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Babaria Senstive Fluid SPF 50+
85/100
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Babaria Loción Solar SPF 50+ Pieles Sensibles
79/100
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Babaria Facial Sun Cream SPF 50 Aloe Vera
79/100
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Babaria Face Cream Moisturizing 50+SPF Hyaluronic Acid
78/100
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SunSense Sensitive Sun Lotion Spf 50+
75/100
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Olay Olay Complete Lightweight 3in1 Moisturiser Day Fluid SPF 15 Sensitive
69/100
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Olay Complete 3In1 Moisturiser Day Cream Spf 15 Sensitive
67/100