By Eleni N.
GagePublished |February 26, 2014
Parabens have been widely used in products to prevent bacteria growth
since the 1950s.
“About 85 percent of cosmetics have them,” said Arthur Rich, a cosmetic
chemist in Chestnut Ridge, New York. “They’re inexpensive and effective.”
New York City dermatologist Dr. Fran E. Cook-Bolden explained,
“Parabens have a long history of safe use, and that’s why they’re commonplace.
New preservatives have less of a proven track record.”
In fact, typically, more than one form of the ingredient is used in a
product. The most common are butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben.
Over the last few years, however, in response to customer concerns, many brands
have started to manufacture (and label) paraben-free products, including
lotions, lipsticks, shampoos, scrubs, and more.
So What’s the Problem?
In the 1990s, parabens were deemed xenoestrogens―agents that mimic
estrogen in the body. “Estrogen disruption” has been linked to breast cancer
and reproductive issues. And in 2004 British cancer researcher Philippa Darbre
found parabens present in malignant breast tumors. As a result, experts in many
countries are recommending limits on paraben levels in cosmetic products.
What’s more, watchdog organizations worry that if parabens can be stored in the
body, over time they could have a cumulative effect and pose a health risk.
But here’s the flip side: Critics of the British study point out that
noncancerous tissue from healthy breasts wasn’t examined to see if parabens
were also present there, and that the presence of parabens in tumors doesn’t
prove that they caused the cancer. Other studies have shown parabens to have a
very weak estrogenic effect.
All this leads to concern about the unknown. Cook-Bolden tells her
patients that “so far there’s no scientific evidence to support any link with
any form of cancer.” Currently, the amount of parabens in any product is
typically quite small. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World
Health Organization consider the chemicals safe at low levels.
The Bottom Line?
There’s reason to be mindful, but no reason to have an all-consuming
concern about these chemicals. If it helps you rest easy, use a paraben-free
body lotion (which coats a large area of skin). Today there are a number of
formulas available from paraben-free brands. Labels that list the preservatives
as one of the last four ingredients also indicate that the chemicals are
present in very small amounts, said Andrea Kane, editor of
Theorganicbeautyexpert.com.
If you want to play it extremely safe, use a few oil-based organic
products that don’t contain water (which calls for a preservative). They often
come in dark containers with a pump so that light and air don’t degrade them
quickly.
“With truly natural products, just stay within their use-by date,” Kane
said. “It’s like milk―the date is there for a reason.”
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/02/26/what-are-parabens-and-do-need-to-worry-about-them/
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