What are Parabens?
Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetic products. Chemically, parabens are esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The most common parabens used in cosmetic products are methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. Typically, more than one paraben is used in a product, and they are often used in combination with other types of preservatives to provide preservation against a broad range of microorganisms. The use of mixtures of parabens allows the use of lower levels while increasing preservative activity.
Parabens are a group of broad-spectrum preservatives (meaning they kill a variety of germs) used to prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms, especially molds and yeast. Parabens are derived from benzoic acid. Benzoic acid is a chemical commonly found in plants. So, to some extent, parabens are natural.
Parabens are the most widely used and inexpensive preservatives on the market. They are meant to prolong shelf life for up to 20 years. Parabens were recently found in 20 out of 20 breast cancer tumors. The study was thrown out because there were not enough cells around the tumor studied to determine if the Parabens were to blame. (My feeling is if parabens stay in the cells indefinitely that can’t be good for us!) See www.organiccomsumers.org/bodycare/breastcancer090604.cfm for more information. May be listed as Methylparaben, proplyparaben, isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, butylparaben, sodium butylparaben. Skin Essentials uses no parabens. We use potassium sorbate the only FDA approved preservative around. It is much more expensive than parabens but it is GRAS (generally regarded as safe by the FDA), its also been in candy bars, and many, many products for more than 100 years. Skin Essentials products are mad for your skin not for the shelf life – the shelf like of these products
A. Parabens are chemical preservatives found in most body care products. They accumulate in the tissues of the body over time, potentially causing harm. They can be so persistent in living tissues that exposed offspring have an increased risk of reproductive abnormalities. Recent evidence also indicates that topical parabens have been detected in human breast tumors. This is of great concern as parabens have been shown to mimic the action of the female hormone estrogen, which can encourage the growth of breast tumors. Of course, MyChelle products are completely free of parabens!
Parabens are preservatives, At L’OCCITANE, we have always used parabens in very low doses (between 0.3% and 0.5%) in conjunction with active essential oils, to prevent the proliferation of bacteria. International legislation allows a maximum of 0.8%. As a company that always errs on the side of caution, we replace parabens whenever possible with other preservatives whose toxicological risks have been fully investigated. Since 2005, the majority of our new products have been formulated without parabens. Today, approximately 80% of our products are paraben-free.
