UPLC analysis of common parabens in cosmetic products

Summary A simple and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatographic (UPLC) method for analysis of parabens in cosmetic products has been developed and validated. Four preservatives (methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben) were extracted by ultrasonication with methanol. Separation was achieved by use of a C18 column (2.1 mm × 50 mm i.d., 1.7 μm particle size) and gradient elution with methanol-water-phosphoric acid as mobile phase. Photodiode-array (PDA) detection was used and quantification with MaxPlot was in the range 210–400 nm. Regression analysis revealed linear relationships between peak area and amount of each additive from 0.1 to 10 μ mL−1, with correlation coefficients between 0.9971 and 0.9983. Inter-day and intraday precision for the four preservatives at three concentrations were 0.04–0.05% for retention time and 0.81–1.29% for peak area. Recovery was from 91.4–105.8%. The method was used for analysis of parabens in cosmetics and was proved suitable for rapid and reliable quality control.