Well I'm not writing this entry to say that parabens are a wonderful thing, and that we should support having it in our skincare, I'm just the type of person that is a little bit more open minded about these things, maybe especially when it's about cosmetics. Maybe consumers should step back and do a little bit of research on the link between cancer and parabens before they limit themselves from many great products, let alone freak out when they hear that this moisturizer they're holding has parabens in it. Because the truth is, there are parabens that are naturally produced in some fruits and vegetables, but nobody seems to know that, and you don't really see that information floating around in magazines and on the news...
I'm here to clear up some questions that you might have regarding both the benefits as well as the negatives that parabens could potentially have on our health.
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1. What exactly are parabens?
It is a preservative that has replaced formaldehyde (a carcinogen), that is easily accessible and low in cost. Not only does it preserve your products for a longer period of time, it helps skincare seal in their moisture and keeps it fresh. This is why they are not only found in moisturizers but also products such as toothpaste, self tanners, lubricants and makeup. The cosmetic items I just listed are generally kept in your washroom, which means it is in an environment where the temperature is constantly changing from a high to low and high again. Having parabens in the products will prevent them from moulding and going bad.
2. Why is it a bad thing?
Parabens mimic estrogen produced in women's bodies, which is a cause to breast cancer at high amounts. Though after looking into many articles online, there were no direct links between parabens and cancer, only that parabens are more easily identified among cancer cells.
3. Are there any incentives/alternatives to parabens?
Yes there are: grapefruit seed extract, rosemary, lavender oil and more. These are just the familiar names that we hear more often.
4. What fruits or vegetables naturally produce parabens, and why?
The best example to of a fruit that naturally produces parabens is an apple. If you take an apple and cut it in half, it turns brown. Why do you think it doesn't turn brown before you slice open the fruit? It's actually because there is a layer of paraben outside of the apple that preserves and prevents the inside from going bad and turning brown. The list goes on such as blueberries, strawberries, barley, current, vanilla, carrots and onions. Not only do they act as preservatives, they act as antibacterial agents as well.
5. Why do some brands that claim to be paraben free still have parabens listed in the ingredients?
Firstly, I'd like to tell you that the company are generally not trying to lie to you and get you to purchase by using the phrase "paraben free" as a selling point. Because as I mentioned above, there are many fruits and vegetables that naturally produce paraben. In your skincare, they are not going to mention the fruit clearly as "strawberry," and will list out their chemical names. Which is why you generally won't recognize a lot of the ingredient name unless you ask your best friend Google.
Two brands that I know of that does this is Amore Pacific and Fresh.
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Being able to listen to some other opinions on parabens, I realized that as long as you're somebody who is living a healthy lifestyle, eating clean and exercising regularly, something as little as parabens in your skincare that can't even go past the epidermis of the skin, shouldn't really affect you at all.
I hope this information is helpful to everyone, and I'd love to know what your thoughts are on parabens as well!
Please comment below to let me know, and thank you for reading!!
- Carol
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