Parabens and Your Health

While researching products online or reading labels at the cosmetics counter at your local department store, you may have noticed more products stating they are “parabens-free”, but do you know what this means, or why it’s important? In this article we will explore what parabens are, how they’re used, and the problems connected to their use.

Written by Lauren Holmes, Green Health Research Contributor

What Are Parabens?

Parabens are a class of chemicals which include propylparaban, butylparaben, ethylparaben, and methylparaben. All of these parabens are esters (compounds of either alcohol or phenol and an acid which contains oxygen) of one specific acid: para-hydrobenzoic acid. Paraben is derived from the ‘para’ and ‘ben’ portions of the acid’s chemical name.
How Are Parabens Used?

Parabens are used as preservatives in cosmetic products, and can be found in almost every product we use for this purpose. Parabens are antimicrobials, so they work as preservatives by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and other organisms that could cause a product to spoil. It’s estimated that 75% to 90% of cosmetic products varying from shampoos to makeup products to lotions to deodorants contain at least one parabens preservative.

According to Ruth Winter’s A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, water is the only more commonly used ingredient in cosmetic products today. Parabens can extend the shelf life of cosmetic products to between two and three years.

Why Are They Dangerous?

Parabens became so popular because it used to be believed that were safe and non-irritating; however, science is beginning to prove that this is not the case. A 2004 study by British researchers showed that parabens were present in the tumors of twenty women studied who had breast cancer.

Parabens are believed to be “endocrine disruptors” which means that they interfere with the normal hormone functions in the human body. In the case of parabens, these chemicals disrupt the endocrine system by acting as synthetic estrogen, and too much estrogen, synthetic or natural, can increase your likelihood of breast cancer and can lead to premature development in young girls, which again increases the chances of breast cancer and also of ovarian cancer.

Parabens have also been shown to be irritating to those suffering from rosacea. Parabens can trigger rosacea flare-ups, and can also cause rashes and itching which can take a few days to several weeks to fully heal. Paraben allergies are also on the rise, and those allergic to parabens generally have symptoms that are similar to the symptoms of rosacea. Namely, red skin with pimple-like pumps, increased skin sensitivity, and a rough texture to the skin.