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Parabens
PARABENS A lot of organic and natural products are promoted as containing NO PARABENS.
How many of us actually know what parabens are?
Hopefully this article will increase your knowledge a little about this subject and help you to make a more informed decision as to whether or not you should avoid using them for yourself or your family. So, where do you find parabens?
Well, they are widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and many foods. Pick up anything from a supermarket shelf, especially in the baby and beauty isle and you will find a large array of parabens in use.
The most common parabens are: Methylparaben, Propylparabens, Ethylparaben, Benzylparaben, Isobutylparaben and Butylparaben. What are parabens?
They are esters of para-hydroxibenzoic acid. Does this mean anything to you? No, me neither and I’m doing a Chemistry A Level!!!!
The interesting thing for me is that although parabens do occur naturally in plant sources such as blueberries, prunes and cinnamon, all commercial parabens used are synthetically produced. What are parabens used for?
In foods they are used to add colour and flavour but their main role is that of a preservative used to reduce the effects of bacteria and spoilage. Typically, more than one paraben is used in a product, and they are often used in combination with other types of preservatives to provide preservation against a broad range of microorganisms.
Are Parabens Safe?
For many years, parabens have been considered to be safe because of their low toxicity profile and their long history of safe use; however, a few recent controversial studies have begun to challenge this view. It was known that parabens could be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract or the blood, metabolized, and eventually excreted in the urine. Breast Cancer
Recent studies by Dr Philippa Darbre and colleagues at the University of Reading have now highlighted the fact that these same chemicals are not so readily excreted when applied directly to the skin. They have been found in samples taken from breast tumors. This study has fueled the belief that parabens in underarm deodorants or other cosmetics migrated into the breast tissue and contributed to the development of the tumors. However, no causal link with cancer has ever been proven and so far there is no scientific evidence to support any link with any form of cancer.
Allergic reactions
In individuals with normal skin, parabens are, for the most part, non-irritating and non-sensitizing. Parabens can, however, in a small percentage of the general population cause skin irritation and contact dermatitis in individuals with paraben allergies.
Estrogenic activity
Animal experiments have shown that parabens have weak estrogenic activity. Some estrogens are known to drive the growth of tumors and so this has raised some concerns. However, there is no evidence that any cosmetics containing parabens pose a health risk, because of the low doses involved.
Although concerns have been raised with regards to the use of parabens especially in skin care products, the research into it is minimal and incomplete. It is hard to arrive at well reasoned conclusions either way – good or bad as the evidence for and against is sorely lacking.
For what it’s worth, my opinion is that evidence or not, the original research into the safety of the use of parabens was carried out in the first half of the 20th century when people weren’t using so many products on their skin. Some of us are now applying these synthetically produced parabens directly onto our newborn babies’ skin and then every day thereafter until they reach adulthood and may be applying them in the shower during cleansing, then as body or face cream then in our make up. This all builds up and it is the accumulative effect that worries me and how our generation and those that follow are actually the living experiments as to what the effect of these chemicals really are.
It is interesting to note that breast cancer rates have increased by more than 50% over the last twenty years. This of course does not mean that there is a link between parabens and breast cancer but it does indicate that there are concerns to be raised about the accumulative effect of applying these chemicals to our skin on a daily basis. It is for this reason that I chose to avoid parabens as and when I can and that is why I stock paraben-free products in my shop. Footnote: what are the alternatives and are they any better?
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