What is Paraben?
Paraben is chemical that used in cosmetic or pharmaceutical products as preservatives. It helps to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold in the products.
The chemical name of this product is parahydroxybenzoates or 4-hydroxybenzoic acid.
The reason why paraben is commonly used is because it is considered as relatively safe. It has been used in all cosmetics and skincare products for a long time.
However, just only recently there has been raising awareness about the negative impact of this product on your skin products. It is concerning because several products – i.e. body lotion, BB cream, etc. – are used very frequently. And as people used many chemical products heavily today, the risk of this chemicals product has significantly increased.
Example of Parabens
Paraben can come in many chemical forms, but the easiest way to recognize it is by having “-paraben” at the end of the name.
Examples of Parabens that commonly can be found in cosmetics are:
- Methylparaben
- Propylparaben
- Butylparaben
- Ethylparaben
- Isopropylparaben
What are the Danger of Parabens?
Hormonal Disruption
A significant number of Parabens can cause disruption of hormone systems in the body. Paraben works like hormone estrogen in our body. Thus, if we have too much of Paraben in our body, it may affect our hormonal function. The study shows that this affects both for men and women.
Increase Risk of Cancer
There is study that links Paraben with the risk of cancer. Although further research is necessary to confirm this, but there are few researches that show how Paraben can increase the risk of breast cancer. As Paraben can mimic estrogen, this might help the growth of cancer cell.
Allergic Reactions
As with other chemical products, paraben can cause allergic reaction for the skin. Some people may have lower tolerance towards chemical than others. Watching out for Paraben-free products could be a solution to a very irritated skin.
So, What does Paraben-fee Products Mean?
It’s simple. Paraben-free means that the product is free of Paraben. That means that we are not at the risk of the dangers mentioned above.
Ideally, such products are only using naturally sourced ingredients. But even some paraben-free products can still contain one or two chemicals in it. The bottom line is, it is important to be aware of the chemicals inside the products that we regularly use.
Read More:
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/parabens-cosmetics
https://www.ewg.org/californiacosmetics/parabens
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