The story
Blend of para- + hydroxybenzoate.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Today it means: Any of a group of chemicals used as preservatives in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, wherein the hydrogen of a parahydroxybenzene molecule is replaced by an alkyl group Full definition →
Blend of para- + hydroxybenzoate.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.