Database/Light Stabilizer/PABA
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PABA natural?

No. PABA is a synthetic aminobenzoic acid manufactured from petrochemical aromatic feedstocks such as toluene or nitrobenzene.

INCI namePABA
CAS150-13-0
FormulaC7H7NO2 · 137.14 Da
FunctionLight Stabilizer · Uv Absorber
FeedstockPABA is industrially synthesised from petrochemical aromatic precursors…

How we scored it

Aromatic benzoic-acid derivative used as a UV chromophore: 0/100=0.00.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

PABA is industrially synthesised from petrochemical aromatic precursors such as toluene or para-nitrotoluene. It is not commercially produced from natural sources for cosmetic use.

In plain English

A UV-absorbing ingredient once common in sunscreens. It is manufactured from petroleum-derived aromatic chemicals, not extracted from any natural source.

CosIng definition: PABA is the aromatic acid that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of PABA

4-aminobenzoic acid

PubChem CID 978 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2PABA. PubChem CID 978. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PABA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PABA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PABA