This controversial issue has been going on for a few years now and I wasn't aware of it until recently. I started noticing product labels saying 'Paraben Free' and I had no idea what a paraben was but I figured it wasn't good if companies were promoting the fact that their products didn't contain any. So I decided to do some research and figure out what exactly a Paraben was. I am not pleased with what I found out.
Basically a Paraben is an inexpensive preservative that cosmetic companies are putting in their products in order for them to have a longer shelf life. There are 5 different kinds of parabens: Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Methylparaben, and Propylparaben. These parabens can be found in literally everything we use on a daily basis including, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, mascara, eyeshadow, foundation, lipsticks, and the list goes on.
The issue concerning parabens is that they have been found in cancerous breast tissue and they have been linked to accelerated aging (wrinkles). The parabens are said to cause estrogen-like activity, promoting breast cancer. Obviously this is not good which is why companies are making products paraben free. However, we still need to be careful because some companies are mixing a few parabens together and naming it something completely different. Phenonip and Germaben II are two that I am aware of.
How do you know if your product contains parabens? Look at the ingredients label and 90% of the time they will be listed near the bottom.
This information is very discouraging because the majority of products contain parabens. Even though we cannot say that parabens do in fact cause cancer, it is still better to be safe than sorry.
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