| The growing number of paraben free products on the | | | | such regulation. It is not unusual to see four different |
| market has many consumers asking questions. What | | | | parabens listed as ingredients in lotions and creams |
| is this ingredient, anyway? That's a question we hear | | | | manufactured in the US. All of the major cosmetic |
| frequently and hope to answer here. | | | | companies rely solely on synthetic parabens to |
| What is Paraben? | | | | preserve the ingredients and promote the shelf life of |
| Parabens are actually a group of synthetic chemical | | | | a product. |
| compounds that are widely used in cosmetics and | | | | One of the basic premises of healthful skincare is to |
| pharmaceuticals. They are created by combining | | | | avoid compounds that can cause allergic reactions, |
| alcohol with Para-hydroxybenzoic acid. | | | | irritation or an increased risk of future health problems. |
| The type of alcohol used in the compound may be | | | | So, companies that provide safe and healthy skincare |
| methyl, ethyl, propyl or butyl. When listed as an | | | | do not use parabens. |
| ingredient, the terms methyl-paraben, ethyl-paraben, | | | | What is Paraben Allergy? |
| propyl-paraben or butyl-paraben are used to denote | | | | A significant proportion of the population (2-3%) are |
| the type of alcohol in the formulation. | | | | allergic to parabens; another reason that you see |
| Paraben free products should include another type of | | | | paraben free products on the market. The symptoms |
| preservative, preferably grape seed extract or natural | | | | of paraben-allergy are typically redness and itching or |
| vitamin E, to insure that there will be no bacterial or | | | | dermatitis. |
| fungal growth as the bottle is shipped and stored. | | | | I have read many consumers' product reviews for |
| What is Paraben Suspected of Causing? | | | | lotions and creams. Whenever an adverse reaction is |
| Parabens are suspected of causing a wide range of | | | | mentioned, one of the parabens is listed as an |
| health problems, which is why there are more and | | | | ingredient. Of course, cosmetic companies use a |
| more of these products on the market. Scientists | | | | variety of known allergens and skin irritants, so it could |
| debate the issues, but consumers concerned about | | | | be a different compound that caused the reaction. But, |
| protecting their overall health and well-being simply | | | | artificial preservatives, in general, are the number one |
| avoid the chemicals, since there are safe and | | | | cause of allergic reactions. |
| effective alternatives. | | | | What is Paraben "Good" For? |
| The major public health concern is that parabens have | | | | Nothing, really. There is no "good" reason to use them. |
| estrogenic activity. In large amounts, they can affect | | | | There are safer alternatives that actually provide |
| the natural level of circulating hormones and since the | | | | additional health benefits. |
| synthetic chemicals are present in so many different | | | | For example, paraben free products that contain |
| consumer products, the risk and rate of exposure can | | | | grape seed oil are effective skin antioxidants, proven |
| be very high. | | | | to prevent and reverse free radical damage. The best |
| The amounts of parabens that may be present in | | | | skincare solutions on the market contain a variety of |
| products manufactured within the European Union are | | | | effective antioxidants and "zero" parabens. That's |
| restricted. The United States, on the other hand, has no | | | | something to look for. |