Today I'd like to talk about one of the more harmful skin care ingredients still being used in products today: PARABENS.
What are parabens? Parabens are preservatives to prevent products from forming microbes. Most products require preservation of some sort to keep mold, staph, bacteria, etc. from forming. However, there are many safer alternatives to the controversial parabens. Some people think parabens are OK--that there isn't enough research out there to call them a real health threat. I think that can finally be put to rest now with the most recently published study:
In the September 1, 2011 edition of Carcinogenesis, researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center released their findings showing that both BPA and Methylparaben at even low concentrations found in humans have negative health consequences such as an increased breast cancer risk.
It also went on to mention the ever-increasing male breast cancer rate, which is another alarming trend. These findings are quite similar to an older study on parabens from about 8 years ago. In this compelling study in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, parabens were linked to breast cancer as they have shown to be hormone disruptive and lead to tumor growth.
I am the mother of two boys, ages 6 and 8. What really made me take notice of this issue was a July 2002 article in the Archives of Toxicology. According to Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health, exposure of newborn male mammals to butylparaben “adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system.”
When I read about that study, I vowed never to buy a product made with parabens again. So many children's products contain parabens and to think that I could be rubbing a lotion on my boys that could alter their reproductive systems and have grave consequences to them later in life was very upsetting to me.
Parabens have been proven to penetrate the skin. As we already know, it's estimated that more than 60% of what we apply to our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream. We already know for certain that parabens fall into this group. What is so alarming is that parabens have been shown to mimic the hormones in our body. This is really a big deal. With so much research linking parabens to estrogen-driven cancers, why are companies still formulating with them? There are much better alternatives out there.
Even if you ignore these studies, you do not want to use parabens anyway, even if there was no link to breast cancer.
Methylparaben has been linked in several studies to premature aging. So while you're buying your $70 anti-wrinkle cream that is formulated with parabens, keep that in mind!
As always, label reading is a must. Look for these ingredients on your labels. If you see them, remember that they are parabens:
butylparaben
isobutylparaben
isopropylparaben
sodium methylparaben
sodium propylparaben
methylparaben
ethylparaben
propylparaben
benzylparaben
At Nature's Basin, we only carry products formulated without parabens. Always read the labels. Some companies claiming to make only natural and organic products still use parabens.
When you choose natural makeup, organic skin care, and natural nail polish made without these toxins, you just may be preserving your health!
Hi. I really appreciated your comments on parabens. It's a shame that the cosmetic industry is still trying to poison women. Funny how many women are using anti-ageing creams which are probably speeding up the skin ageing process. The information that you wrote was very helpful. Thanks again
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