These days it is common to see paraben free skin care products on the shelves of health food stores and conventional grocery, drug, and department stores. You might be wondering what parabens are and why you would want to avoid them. There is an on-going debate on whether this class of chemical compounds is safe or if there is a health risk to their use.
Parabens do exist in nature; they are naturally found in blueberries, for one. But it's the man-made chemical compounds that are widely used in the cosmetic, body care, and food industry. They act as preservatives, killing bacteria and fungus and inhibiting their growth in packaged products. They've been used for decades, and it's only now that what some consider the 'long term' effects are suspected to be harmful.
The debate between those who consider these chemicals safe for long term use and those who say they should be avoided is on-going. Many natural product lines want to avoid all man-made chemicals, and these manufacturers have decided not to wait for final conclusions to be drawn. Paraben-free is one of the claims most natural lines make on their labels.
It may be the over-use of them that is the problem. They are added to shampoos, makeup, deodorants, moisturizers, shaving gel, soaps, sunscreens, and nail polish. This is only a partial list of products that consumers use daily that contain parabens. Sometimes one of these compounds is near the beginning of the list of ingredients, meaning that it makes up a good deal of the formula. These preservatives are among the most common of all chemicals used in industry.
Check the ingredients of things you use. If there is a compound with ethyl, propyl, methyl, butyl, or heptyl in the name, you'll know that the product contains chemical parabens. There are other forms of these preserving alcohols, as well. It's also true that chemicals substituted for parabens may not be any safer, or they may be worse.
The discovery of chemical parabens in breast cancer tumors has caused many to question their safety. Manufacturers point to the fact that they have been used as preservatives for decades without discernible ill effects, while others cite more and more evidence that they might disrupt normal hormone levels in women, being weak estrogen mimics, and cause reproductive health problems like low testosterone and sperm production in men.
Substitutes for these chemicals may not be any safer, so 'paraben-free' on the label should not give a false sense of security. Natural cosmetic and body product lines use vitamins, like E, or herbals, like rosemary oil, as preservatives. Grape seed extract, tea tree oil, and grapefruit seed extract are other things you might see on an ingredients list for a more natural cosmetic or lotion.
If you are cautious about what you put on and in your body, it might be wise to choose paraben free skin care products. You also should avoid most processed foods, which also contain chemical preservatives. Parabens are readily absorbed by the skin and the digestive tract, so until their safety can be guaranteed, you might want to avoid them.
Parabens do exist in nature; they are naturally found in blueberries, for one. But it's the man-made chemical compounds that are widely used in the cosmetic, body care, and food industry. They act as preservatives, killing bacteria and fungus and inhibiting their growth in packaged products. They've been used for decades, and it's only now that what some consider the 'long term' effects are suspected to be harmful.
The debate between those who consider these chemicals safe for long term use and those who say they should be avoided is on-going. Many natural product lines want to avoid all man-made chemicals, and these manufacturers have decided not to wait for final conclusions to be drawn. Paraben-free is one of the claims most natural lines make on their labels.
It may be the over-use of them that is the problem. They are added to shampoos, makeup, deodorants, moisturizers, shaving gel, soaps, sunscreens, and nail polish. This is only a partial list of products that consumers use daily that contain parabens. Sometimes one of these compounds is near the beginning of the list of ingredients, meaning that it makes up a good deal of the formula. These preservatives are among the most common of all chemicals used in industry.
Check the ingredients of things you use. If there is a compound with ethyl, propyl, methyl, butyl, or heptyl in the name, you'll know that the product contains chemical parabens. There are other forms of these preserving alcohols, as well. It's also true that chemicals substituted for parabens may not be any safer, or they may be worse.
The discovery of chemical parabens in breast cancer tumors has caused many to question their safety. Manufacturers point to the fact that they have been used as preservatives for decades without discernible ill effects, while others cite more and more evidence that they might disrupt normal hormone levels in women, being weak estrogen mimics, and cause reproductive health problems like low testosterone and sperm production in men.
Substitutes for these chemicals may not be any safer, so 'paraben-free' on the label should not give a false sense of security. Natural cosmetic and body product lines use vitamins, like E, or herbals, like rosemary oil, as preservatives. Grape seed extract, tea tree oil, and grapefruit seed extract are other things you might see on an ingredients list for a more natural cosmetic or lotion.
If you are cautious about what you put on and in your body, it might be wise to choose paraben free skin care products. You also should avoid most processed foods, which also contain chemical preservatives. Parabens are readily absorbed by the skin and the digestive tract, so until their safety can be guaranteed, you might want to avoid them.
About the Author:
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