Parabens are usually in the form of a white, free flowing powder as the raw chemical - the extremely pure one we use in the lab regularly could be easily mistaken for "Coffee Mate".
Parabens are fairly soluble in water but their solubility rises rapidly on heating their solutions. In cosmetic products, other solvents such as the PEG variants, propylene glycol or ethanol are used in preference to water in some cases.
Parabens can be found in a wide range of food products, but restrictions do occur in some countries. They may be found in beer, beverages, meat and poultry products, wine baked goods and many other products depending on the country you live in. In the UK, I'm not certain what our masters in Brussels specify.