What are Parabens, Paraben Free Skincare

What are Parabens? Should I avoid products that contain them? You may have been asking yourself this. If so, you’re not alone. More and more health-conscious consumers are avoiding personal care items and foods with parabens.

In simplest terms parabens are an additive used as a preservative in the food and beauty industry to extend the shelf life of products. Preservatives are necessary in skin care and beauty products and you will notice that the vast majority of products contain parabens such as Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, p-Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, n-Butylparaben and/or Benzylparaben.

They are used because they are effective preservatives, they are very inexpensive to use and they have a very low incidence of causing skin irritation. However, studies have shown that at higher doses they have an effect similiar to the hormone estrogen. Some studies suggest that as a result parabens may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. It also seems to have a negative effect on growth and development in children and infants, as well as deterring male reproduction, particularly testosterone secretion.

A British study found parabens in 20 of 20 breast tumors they examined. This study raised more questions than it answered, but it did seem to suggest that parabens can accumulate in the body after being applied on the skin. The researcher expressed her concern stating that the documented estrogenic effect could potentially “drive the growth of human breast tumors”.

The cosmetics industry insists that they are safe to use and do not cause any problems, because they are used at such a low concentration, typically less than 1%.

What are Parabens? Are They Safe to Use?

The biggest question is do have a cumulative effect? No one knows what the effect is if you use multiple products every day for years.

Consumers are becoming increasing concerned about their use, because of this uncertainty. Unfortunately, it seems that the estrogen-like nature of parabens makes them risky, potentially contributing to cancer and other health problems. Studies on parabens are on-going and not all of them agree.

There’s no question that there’s some debate as to whether parabens truly have the potential for harm. Nonetheless, since studies confirm that parabens can act just like estrogen on the body, a certain level of caution is warranted. The more you consume or absorb, the higher the potential health risk becomes. Since you can get food and beauty products without parabens why take any chances?

When researching What are Parabens, you will find strong arguments on both sides, for and against, and ultimately you will have to make the decision for yourself. For myself and my family, I have decided to avoid their use whenever possible. I really don’t think we were created to slather ourselves with chemicals everyday in order to be more attractive!

The bottom line is that we truly don’t know if parabens are perfectly safe or if they can cause problems. At Pariam Labs our philosophy is why take the risk? Do you want to use products on yourself and your family that are “probably safe”? Especially when it is not essential and natural and organic alternatives are available. In addition to parabens, “modern skincare” contains an array of synthetic chemicals. We believe that the best skincare is natural, using the ingredients that Mother Nature gave us.

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