What Are Parabens?

What are Parabens?

In a world where consumers are more aware of the foods they consume, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are just as interested in the ingredients in their skincare products.  Because not all skincare products are created equal, it is important that consumers be able to easily identify the culprits.  One culprit that makes the top of the list and is found is many products, is parabens. 

Parabens are synthetic chemicals founds in cosmetic and body care products and are used as a preservatives.  These chemicals prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and bacteria in products, especially those that include water as an ingredient.  Parabens also increase the shelf life of products which is why they are so widely used.  While paragons lend so many benefits to synthetic products,  they don’t offer any benefits for the human body. 

A CDC experiment with more than 2500 participants proved that most people had parabens in their urine.  This proves that humans are widely exposed  to parabens.  In FACT, the findings were as follows:

• African American adults under the age of 60 had higher levels of parabens in their urine than their whites counterparts. 
• Women had higher concentration of parabens than male.  This is likely the result of women using more products that contain parabens than men.

Parabéns cause the following problems and side effects:

• Endocrine Disruption
• Reproduction Issues Including Birth Defects
• Increased Risk of Cancer
• Skin Irritations

Parabéns mimics estrogen  in the body and cause hormonal imbalances.  Hormonal imbalances, especially increased estrogen can lead to breast cell division, abnormal breast tissue, and even breast cancer.   The hormonal disruption can harm the fertility and reproductive organs.  This increases the risks for birth defects.

Common Parabens are:

• Propylparaben
• Isopropylparaben
• Butylparaben
• Isobutylparaben

There is no reason to state the obvious, but someone might need to hear it.  Products that contain parabens should be avoided at all costs; They are unsafe.  Natural skincare (cosmetic) and body care products are much better for overall health.