In a previous post on parabens, I gave an overview of exactly what is a this chemical in What is a Paraben and Why is it Used?
Why should we avoid them?
Parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen which can lead to or contribute to (if not cause) health problem such as estrogen dominance, various endocrine disorders like hypothyroid and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), infertility, obesity and the development of breast cancer.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change? points out that in several tests, chemicals in the paraben family displayed estrogenic activity. Since most products from shampoos to toothpaste are used on a daily basis, the level and amount of exposure can add up. Exposure to chemicals through the skin can be especially powerful since they do not have to go through the digestive track. Theses chemicals can remain in the tissue, especially breast tissue particularly from the use of anti-perspirants.
Chemical’s that are or mimic hormones are also bad for the environment. The EPA’s study on personal care products also states that many of chemicals used in our personal care product and pharmaceuticals are eventually leaked into sewage treatment systems and have a negative effective on marine animals.
There are a number of alternatives that are currently available at my web store at Green and Chic and other retailers.
References:
http://www.terressentials.com/truthaboutparabens.html
http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/ppcps.cfm
http://www.naturalnews.com/022113.html
Thanks for the info on paraben. I had heard that it was bad, but didn’t know why. I’ll go through my products and see which ones have it.
Great article! Consumers are wise to avoid potentially hazardous ingredients such as parabens. But they also want skin care that nourishes their skin to keep it soft, healthy and radiant. I found a product that gives you all of that and more at http://GoodSugars.net/SkinCare.
Very informative post. I will now really be careful about the products I purchase so I avoid parabens. Thanks for stopping by my blog site too and I hope you’ll enjoy making your recycled hobo bag.
sadly, avoiding parabens is simply not enough.
Many of the alternatives have much worse health issues connected them, but parabens are the buzz word of the moment. Actually they are considered the most effective preservatives, and are considered highly safe – which is why they are used in everything.
Yes, they are said to mimic oestrogen – however, they are metabolised very quickly into components that are not estrogenic and therefore don’t stay in the system to build up and cause problems. *One* study has found parabens in breast tumour tissue, but they were also found in non-tumour tissue, so whether they are connected to cancer or not has not been established.
Even if parabens are ‘bad’, it doesn’t mean anything else is any better
Hi Maysum – It really depends on what the alternatives are.
And though it may be metabolizes quickly, many people use products (and multiple products at once) on a regular basis.
I will post more links in the near future.
Quite a large number of skin care products today contain synthetic chemicals known as Parabens. These synthetically produced chemicals act as a preservative to extend the shelf life of the product. They are listed on product labels as methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl Parabens.