Paraben - dangerous preservative

Paraben preservatives are the most commonly used preservatives in the skin care industry. They are cheap and effective but are suspected of causing cancer and are known hormone disrupters. Paraben is a concern because it mimics estrogen in the body.

Mimics Estrogen

Your body is unable to distinguish this chemical from estrogen and in girls/women this can cause early puberty, increased cancer risk and feminization in boys/men. Not what any of us want that's for sure!

Common but Dangerous Preservative

Paraben is found in many shampoos, lotions, gels, shaving creams and toothpaste and sometimes deodorants.

You will find them toward the end of ingredient lists. They will be listed at "ethylparaben," butylparaben," "methylparaben, and "propylparaben." Often you will find a combination of them used in the same product.

Check out this video......

We need preservatives

Of course, cosmetics, shampoos and skin care products need to be able to remain on our shelves and in our homes safely without becoming tainted by the growth of dangerous bacteria and other microbes.

So it is important that they be preserved in some way. One way to slow the growth of these contaminants would be to store products in the fridge, as we do with food. But this of course only slows the growth, and provides for a short lived product as well as a cold one! Not always so comfortable on the skin!

Natural and Safe Synthetic Preservatives

Companies are looking for alternative preservatives. More and more companies are making products that are paraben-free.

One option is a synthetic preservative called Phenoxyethanol. It has a chemical composition which was inspired by a the sage plant which has amazing natural anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties.

Other organic options include plant extracts or essential oils with anti-microbial and anti-oxidant properties such as grapefruit seed extract, grape seed extract.

Vitamin E (aka tocopherol) is also an effective preservative.

Where to Find Paraben-Free Products

The Skin Deep cosmetic safety database is a great online resource and a quick and easy way to check products to see if they contain parabens and other unwanted ingredients. This database is produced by the Environmental Working Group. They conduct comprehensive research and evaluation of cosmetic products.

You can type in the name of a specific product or company and obtain all sorts of information including the complete ingredient list as well as the Environmental Working Group health hazard scores.

There are also several online shops that carry paraben-free products. Paraben Free Beauty is one.

When shopping for paraben-free products don't be fooled by misleading marketing. Research and read the label!

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