Are Parabens Safe? Should I Worry About Them?
Parabens are preservatives used in cosmetics and personal care products to prevent the growth of bacteria. Researchers have found these chemicals to be unsafe and harmful to our bodies.
Before we dig deeper into the reasons Parabens are bad, let’s talk about where they are.
Today they can be found in approximately 90% of beauty products on the market. Everything from shampoos, conditioners, lotions soaps, deodorant makeup, skincare, and even toothpaste. They all work to extend the shelf life of beauty products and stop bacteria growth.
The issue with these chemicals are they mimic estrogen in the body and can be a hormone disruptor. Research has shown that Parabens have been found in tumors of 90% of women with breast cancer. Yes, 90%!
They can also cause hormone disruption as well as developmental issues, reproductive issues, neurological and immune-system effects on the body. Not to mention, they have also been proven to speeding up the aging process. Yes, it’s true!
So, Who Should Be Concerned?
They aren’t just affecting women. Reuters Health news reported common chemicals known as parabens have lower testosterone levels in men. They have also been found to have affected men’s fertility fluids causing abnormally shaped and slow-moving sperm. As a result, study suggests these ingredients may be contributing to male infertility. [1]
“Researchers examined lab tests done on 315 male patients of a fertility clinic to pinpoint issues they were having with reproduction. All of the men provided samples of urine, saliva, blood and semen for analysis.” [1]
“Men with high concentrations of parabens also had a larger proportion of semen with what’s known as abnormal morphology, or unusual size or shape, that’s associated with infertility, the study found.” [1]
What To Look For On Cosmetic Labels
The most commonly found are butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben. Here are a few other to watch out for in personal care products that have been known to be endocrine disrupters isobutylparabens, ethylparabens, isopropylparabens and any other ingredients ending in –paraben. Some forms of parabens are banned in Denmark (propyl and butyl paraben, their isoforms and their salts) in cosmetics products for children up to 3 years. [2]
Always look for products labeled “paraben-free”. Read the ingredients list on the product labels to avoid products with parabens. Many natural and organic cosmetics manufacturers have found effective alternatives to prevent microbial growth in personal care products.
Bye Bye Parabens is a brand you can trust. The entire line of products are “parabens-free”. Bye Bye Parabens doesn’t believe you have to compromise your safety and health for beauty.
In Conclusion
I believe anything that’s associated with CANCER you should stay far away from. There are some that say Parabens are safe. My answer to that is right, they also told us about 30 years ago that second-hand smoke wouldn’t kill us. Figure that.
Tracy Riggs
Additional Resources About Parabens:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-parabens-male-fertility/common-chemicals-in-cosmetics-soaps-tied-to-poor-semen-quality-idUSKCN1AX2C0
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/757561
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4555-cosmetic-chemicals-found-in-breast-tumours/
https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/worry-about-parabens
References
[2] Danish Ministry of the Environment-Environmental Protection Agency. Statutory order on restriction on import, sale, and use of certain parabens in cosmetic products for children under 3 years. Available online: http://eng.mst.dk/media/mst/Attachments/Engelskparabenbekendtgrelse.pdf August 12, 2014.
About the author : Tracy Riggs
