A paraben is one of a small family of chemicals mixed into things like cream, lotion, and some foods so they do not go bad. A little of it stops bacteria and mould from growing in the jar. On the back of a bottle you will often see names ending in -paraben, such as methylparaben. In the last twenty years many shoppers have grown uneasy about them, so “paraben-free” is now a loud selling line. Scientists still argue about how much risk there really is at the tiny amounts used in cosmetics; the talk in a shop is usually more frightened than the talk in a chemistry paper. Though actually, a bottle that says paraben-free still needs some other way to stay fresh — the preservative has been swapped, not wished away.

對羥苯甲酸酯（化妝品防腐劑）。保養品標示常直接寫 paraben；「無 paraben」是賣場常見賣點。