The Truth About Parabens

With the long list of ingredients on many of our beauty products, there may be one key ingredient that you want to pay more attention to: parabens.  Parabens are the preservative entity of the entire cosmetic industry. They're effective and cheap and help major companies 'bottom line' when it comes to business and budgets. Unfortunately, these cheap shortcuts may be compromising your health. As preservatives, parabens are common to most cosmetic products. There has been mounting evidence that parabens are carcinogenic and estrogenic with continued use. Parabens are estrogen mimickers that are easily absorbed into the skin. As we are learning, estrogen increases may be linked to breast cancer and other illnesses. Laboratory testing has created cancer cells with parabens, so they're rightly considered carcinogenic. Yikes!

So what are you using that could be aiding to later health risks? Deodorants and antiperspirants are some of the primary sources of parabens. It's also important to recognize that whatever you spread on your skin can be absorbed into your body and potentially cause serious damage over time. Certain shampoos, conditioners, and lotions are also to blame. 

So what is one to do? Lately it seems like everywhere we turn there is a new fear or a new chemical to avoid. Avoiding parabens and other harmful chemicals requires becoming an avid label reader. Beware that products boasting "all-natural" labels can still contain harmful chemicals, including parabens, so make sure to check the list of ingredients. All it takes is a quick read of the ingredients list and you can rest easy knowing your body isn't absorbing any of those harsh chemicals.