Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetic products to provide preservation against a broad range of microorganisms. Parabens include butylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, ethylparaben and benzylparaben. The use of mixtures of parabens allows the use of lower levels while increasing preservative activity. Parabens have been popular because they cause less irritation than many other preservatives, they are a cheap preservative, and they have broad-spectrum activity against bacteria, molds, and fungus that can contaminate cosmetics. Studies done by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that parabens have an estrogenic effect in the body, which is believed to playing a role in rising breast cancer rates. Despite this information, the US FDA does not feel parabens are a cause for concern, at this present time. A Danish study showed that when parabens are applied as a cream to the backs of healthy male volunteers, the chemicals can be measured in the blood within hours. “This demonstrates that parabens do indeed penetrate the human skin from cosmetic products,” said University of Reading researcher Philippa Darbre, whose research team was the first to detect parabens in human tissue. According to a recent study on rats at a conference organised by the Scandinavian Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCANCOS) in Sweden, Parabens are fully metabolised before they enter the blood stream. According to Schellauf, PHBA (p-hydroxybenzoic acid) is not known to have any estrogenic effects and is found widely in plants and human food, so trace exposure in the human organism poses no health risk. Most products need some form of preservative, to match the lifestyle we live now. There are many natural alternatives, in addition to different bottling methods, that can be used by companies, to replace parabens. Some examples include grapefruit seed extract, tea tree and vitamins A, C and E. Many companies offer a number of paraben-free products together with products that do contain parabens, even though the official line is that they cause no health risk. The main idea is that consumers should be able to choose whether they want to purchase paraben-containing cosmetics or not.
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Sources and Further Reading:
FDA / About Parabens, October 31st , 2007
Real Simple / What are parabens?
Askanesthetician /Are Paraben safe?, February 21st , 2010
Beauty and the Blog / Parabens In Your Anti-Aging Skin Care?, March 9th, 2010
Cosmeticsdesign / New data on parabens suggests no adverse hormonal effect on the body, November 18th 2009
Cosmeticscop / Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary – Parabens
Cosmeticsdesign / Paraben-free claims could backfire in 2010, January 4th, 2010
