Parabens: What are They?
Learning all I can about living a more “natural” life, especially through beauty and personal care products, I keep hearing the word “paraben” and “Paraben-Free” So, what exactly are parabens?
Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels and personal lubricants. Parabens have been found to cause skin irritation, contact dermatitis, or allergic skin reactions.
There was also a study showing parabens present in breast cancer tissue samples, this was linked to use of underarm deodorants, but many say there needs to be more research carried out before a causal link between parabens in cosmetics and breast cancer can be proven. You might not see the word parabens, but that does not mean they are not there, as these chemicals might be listed as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben or butylparaben. source:Treehugger
In glancing through just a few of my bath products, I notice many - too many, parabens listed. And while the main stream cosmetic industry deems Parabens to be “relatively” safe, I am going to be more vigilant in trying to use Paraben-Free products. How about you?
Some product lines that are Paraben-Free include: La Roche-Posay, Jane Iredale Products, and Skyn Iceland.
Tags: Body, Makeup, research, Skin care
4 opinions for Parabens: What are They?
margaret
Jul 30, 2007 at 11:11 pm
um, la roche-posay totally uses parabens. they are in almost all of their products. The dermstore website lists ingredients… go ahead, click on any of the products…
But, there are tonnes of brands out there that have made a conscious effort to avoid parabens, and more and more are phasing them out. Common lower-end ones include Avalon Organics, Aubrey Organics, Burts Bees, Giovanni Hair Care. There are also higher end brands, like Dr. Hauschuka, Juice Beauty, and Stella McCartney’s Care line that don’t contain any parabens.
Teri
Jul 31, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Wow - thanks for pointing that out Margaret. In my research, they were quoted as being one who follows the paraben-free standard.
I am sorry for the confusion, and will definitely be checking that out myself.
Jenn
Jul 31, 2007 at 7:12 pm
I’ve been doing my best to avoid parabens and just wanted to share that I highly recommend Stella
McCartney’s line. It smells great and my skin feels so nice after I use it.
beautyscientist
Apr 5, 2008 at 11:08 am
I don’t think parabens are as bad as you make them out to be, but I personally avoid them so I am basically in agreement with you. I have to point out that La Roche Posay is owned by L’Oreal so it isn’t surprising that they use parabens. Dr Hauschuka are also owned by L’Oreal. I was in their store in London a few weeks ago and some contained parabens and some didn’t. I don’t at the moment know whether they are in the process of taking them out or if they are switching them over to existing formulations.
Just one final point. Just about the only type of cosmetic that almost never contains parabens is underarm deodourants.
All the best with the blog.
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