Finding Paraben Free Products
Paraben Free Products:
Are Parabens Preservatives Dangerous?
Skin rashes,weight gain,breast cancer,water retention,endocrine disruption disorders….scary stuff to say the least…can simple preservatives in your personal care products be the cause of these problems?
Possibly yes,but before we go there,let’s take a moment to examine what these parabens are,and why they are on the black list of many women and men.
Parabens ,What Are They?
Parabens are the darlings of chemical preservatives because they are cheap and stable compounds. Almost every cosmetic product from hair care,to shaving products,makeup,and moisturizers contains some form or another of preservative as they are necessary to maintain the products integrity, and prevent microbial growth. Parabens are the most frequently used preservatives in cosmetic products,and it can be very difficult to find a skin care or cosmetic product that does not contain them.
Chemically,paraben formulations s are esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid.
The most common parabens used in cosmetic products are:
- Methylparaben
- Propylparaben
- Butylparaben
- Benzyl Hydoxybenzoate –benzylparaben
Manufactures have discovered that by mixing more than one paraben in a product,and combining them with other types of preservatives,they can provide better product preservation. This is important to manufactures because the mixtures of parabens permits the use of lower levels while increasing the preservative activity in the product,helping to reduce a broad range of microorganisms,and increase a products shelf life.
Purity Products- I highly recommend their Paraben Free Products
What Are The Dangers Of Parabens?
In 1984 the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) did a review on the safety of butylparaben methylparaben,and propylparaben. The end results of the study concluded that at levels up to 25 % were safe for use in cosmetic products. However,most products do not even reach this level for parabens on average are used at levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.3%.
None the less,there was a study published in 2004 (Darbre,in the Journal of Applied Toxicology) that detected parabens in breast tumors,and it was concluded that the cause could be a result of estrogenic action . The FDA is aware of the estrogenic action caused by the parabens,and it’s connection with certain forms of breast cancer. Although parabens can act similarly to estrogen,they have been shown in studies to have less estrogenic activity than the body’s naturally occurring estrogen.
What this FDA information means to you in simple terms is that these parabans mimic your body´s own hormones,and in doing so can disrupt or interfere with your body´s endocrine system when they are applied in cream,lotions,hair products. Absorption through the skin is also thought to be more potent than ingesting the chemicals.
I cannot give you a clear direction to take,as there is,and will continue to be a long standing debate on this subject. Many researchers and special interest groups agree that more research and testing is warrented. No one knows what the long term affect these types of chemicals could have on your body,no matter how small the amount. Parabens have the potential to harm your body and cause cancer,so if you can find paraben free products then it makes sense to use them.
Going Paraban Free –Finding Paraben Free Products
There are a number of reputable companies that specialize in natural preservative free products. Do not be misled by products labeled organic. Organic does not necessarily mean that they are preservative free,it means they were created with natural ingredients. that were raised without pesticides.
Preservative free cosmetics and skin care products are just that free of preservatives. If you are experiencing skin irritation,have a family history of breast cancer,or other problems you are associating with the preservatives in your personal care products I would suggest for you to do a product purge.
Purge outdated products,and to check the labels of products you are using. Toss out skin creams,moisturizers,anti aging serums,and that contain the preservatives listed above. Replace them with a preservative free products with natural ingredients that nourish,and protect your skin. You can find great anti aging skin care products that are paraben free,and improve the look of your skin at Purity Products. I recommend their products highly,or you can also try SkinBotanica which offers many organic products as well such as Jane Iredale make up which is recommended by Environmental Group’s Research for being non toxic.
Younger Skin Tip: Most natural products without preservatives have a shelf life of 18 months. After that time they should be tossed for your own safely.
Butylparaben
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Meat consumption and risk of breast cancer in the UK Women’s
Cohort Study
17% higher risk of breast cancer then non-meat eaters. Compared to parabens in skin care meat consumption presents orders of magnitude greater risk of breast cancer then parabens. Why are you not preaching a vegan diet?