Paraben - Save or Not?
Is There An Alternative?
Until recently consumers trusted in the safety of ingredients in cosmetics. However, Paraben got bad press when a study revealed that there may be a link between these chemical preservatives and breast cancer in women. This study was done in 2004 and ever since there has been a lot of controversy.
Preservatives were added to products in the late 1950s when it was discovered that skin care products spoiled and the resulting bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa was dangerous. In some cases, spoiled product can result in blindness. Products spoil when they become contaminated during manufacturing, packaging or customer use, and the product is unable to slow or stop the spread of the micro-organisms through the product.
The law now requires that products are adequately preserved - most companies accomplish this by adding traditional chemical preservatives. For example, the FDA specifies specific microbiological methods.
Parabens are a group of chemicals that are used as preservatives in skin care, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. You will find them in the list of ingredients on just about every cosmetic product. They are methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butyl-paraben.
They have been used traditionally as preservatives in cosmetics and food since the 1950's. Their bactericidal and fungicidal properties keep the product fresh and stop it from going off.
In general products contain more than one paraben to give broader preservation. They are cheap and have been considered safe until recently. As there were no alternatives, their has been justified to make sure products are micro biologically safe.
How Safe Are Parabens?
Evidence has shown that parabens can cause skin irritation and contact sensitivity. People who suffer from contact dermatitis should avoid any skin irritants. This also applies for the skin disorders eczema and psoriasis. Even though these conditions are mostly genetic pre-disposed, chemical preservatives can worsen the symptoms. Some dermatologists suspect the they may trigger these conditions in the first place and contributing to their severity.
An overload of chemicals in skin care can cause permanent skin sensitivity. A sensitive skin is often the result of a toxin overlead in the body.
Parabens have also been accused of contributing to the early occurance of age spots and other pigmentation disorders in the skin. This is quite ironic, as most age spot treatment creams contain one or more paraben.
Worse findings have been discovered in 2004, when British researchers have found traces of parabens in a tissue from a breast cancer patient.
A test of 20 different human breast tumours from the University of Reading found traces in every sample and suggests that the chemicals have seeped into the tissue after being applied to the skin. This has been the first study to show an accumulation of preservative chemicals in human tissues and demonstrated that the exposure to these chemicals can cause an accumulation in the body.
These findings cause great concerns, as parabens have shown to mimic the action of the female hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen can drive the growth of human breast tumours.
However, there is no evidence yet, that they are the cause for breast cancer and further studies need to be done.
The cosmetic industry insists that chemical preservatives are safe and have a long safety profile as they are approved by government food and drug administrations.
Are There Alternatives?
These recent studies can be quite shocking, considering the wide use toxic chemicals in products that are applied to the skin on a daily basis. Deodorants, facial and skin care products, bath, shower and hair products, soap and make up.
Natural and organic skin care products
Paraben, Yes or No?
Fact is, that there is no proof that parabens are the cause for breast cancer. Fact is, that paraben have been used for the past 50 years in cosmetic products. Fact is, that we do not know for sure if they are safe or not.
As consumer we have a choice. The choice of what we put on our skin that may or may not be harmful is entirely up to each one of us.
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