Magazine/Issue: InStyle / WHAT’S HOT NOW (September 2007 issue, p.432)

“Parabens are one of the most ubiquitous types of preservative [in skin-care products],” says Christopher Gavigan, CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World (healthychild.org). “When they enter the body [through the skin], they appear to mimic the hormone estrogen, which plays a role in the development of breast tumors.” Gavigan recommends choosing paraben-free body washes, lotions and other cosmetics.

*************************************************************

Personally I think certain parabens are more affecting than others (“Paraben” represents a group of preservatives with similar chemical structures. While they are similar, there are different parabens used in cosemtics, some more toxic than others.) There is also a question of quantity and duration of application. Cosmetics companies are allowed to used up to 1% parabens in their products. Some companies use up to that 1%, others use much less than that. The higher the concentration, the more our bodies will absorb the chemical. And the longer the parabens are left on the skin, the more time our bodies have to absorb.

Ultimately there aren’t enough studies to confirm or dispute the harmfulness of parabens.  At this point, whether to use paraben-free products is really a matter of personal taste.  But if you want to be on the safe side, there are plenty of paraben-free products available on the market.

And don’t forget, parabens can be found in food too…

Here is a nice blog post about paraben by Kayla @ EssentialU (Kayla is the Chief Formulator of Essential Wholesale).

Updated Jan 03, 2010

Kayla from Essential Wholesale has a new blog post called The What and Why of Cosmetic Preservatives that explains the different preservatives and why they are used.  Great info.