REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR DETERMINATION OF PARABENS IN COSMETIC PRODUCTS

Abstract

Parabens are well known preservatives that are widely used in cosmetic and personal care (CPC) products as they have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial properties, as well as being non-sensitising and non-irritating. Over the years, parabens have been considered to be a relatively safe compound.
However, a few studies found that parabens might have estrogenic properties and there is an ongoing debate regarding the potential risk of cancer from consuming this product. This paper presents an overview of sample preparation methods, as well as instrumental analysis of current and past researches on the determination of parabens in cosmetic products. It first reviews on sample preparation methods
that effectively eliminate complex matrices in cosmetics products, including liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), solid phase extraction (SPE), solid phase microextraction (SPME), dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Then, the analytical techniques for the analysis are reported, mainly using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and electrophoresis. Research gaps and suggestions for future studies on the
detection of parabens in cosmetic products are also given.
Keywords: Parabens; cosmetic and personal care (CPC) products; complex matrices; sample preparation; analytical techniques.

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