Parabens

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Article Posted by BR Natalie

There are a lot of “Paraben Free” products around – but what is all the fuss about?

What's a paraben?

Parabens are a chemical compound of para-hydroxybenzoic acid. More simply, a paraben is chemical that is used as a preservative. Most parabens are man made, although they can occur naturally.

Parabens are most commonly in cosmetics, but they are also found in a variety of food and pharmaceutical products.

How are parabens used in cosmetics?

Parabens are typically used in products with a high water content (shampoos, shower gels, hand washes etc) to prevent microbial growth. This protects both the customer and the integrity of the product from bacteria and fungus.

What's in a name?

Some parabens are easy to identify on the label by their names; methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or benzylparaben. Parabens that are not so easy to spot include benzoic acid and benzoate.

Are they safe?

Parabens can be absorbed through the skin, blood and the digestive tract. It is not known what the cumulative effects of this absorption is.

In 1984 the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) conducted a review of methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben and concluded they were safe for use in cosmetic products at levels up to 25%. The Federal Drug Agency currently states that 'typically parabens are used at levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.3%.'

In 2003 the CIR reopened the study of parabens and confirmed their original stance.

The FDA, the World Health Organisation, and the Centre for Disease Control all report that there is no current evidence for concern regarding exposure to low level amounts of parabens.

But what about the reports that parabens cause breast cancer?

Parabens can mirror oestrogen, a hormone known to play a part in the development of breast cancer.

A study in the Journal of Applied Toxicology reported in 2004 that parabens had been detected in 100% of the 40 breast tumours studied. However, the study didn't show that parabens were harmful in any way; in particular it did not show that parabens cause cancer. Notably the study did not investigate paraben levels in normal breast tissue.

What about other concerns with the safety of parabens?

Parabens can cause an allergic reaction to the skin in the form of a rash; individuals can be tested for this allergy.

What are companies using instead of parabens?

A lot of manufacturers are seeking effective alternatives to prevent microbial growth cosmetic products.

Another solution is that daily-use products such as shampoo or body wash are formulated without preservatives but with a shelf life of six months to a year.

What products contain less parabens?

A good rule of thumb with cosmetic labels is that if preservatives are in the last four ingredients listed, then they are present in very small amounts.

Oil based products generally contain fewer parabens as it is the water in products that mostly requires the need for a preservative.

Should I be worried about future findings regarding parabens?

From the FDA:

“The FDA believes that at the present time there is no reason for consumers to be concerned about the use of cosmetics containing parabens. However, the agency will continue to evaluate new data in this area. If FDA determines that a health hazard exists, the agency will advise the industry and the public.”

Until then, if you’d rather err on the side of caution, there are plenty of great products on the market that don’t contain parabens and this information will generally be easy to find on the label!

What are your thoughts on parabens? Are there any other cosmetic chemicals or ingredients that you'd like Beauty Review to investigate? Get chatting below!