Parabens have been identified as being a health risk, and many companies are moving away from including these chemicals in their products. For years parabens were used in cosmetics, hair care products, and also things like moisturizers. Parabens were originally added to these products to keep them from going bad and to prevent them from growing bacteria.
However, studies have shown that parabens can cause hormone imbalances, skin irritation, fertility issues, and cancer. These studies indicate that these risks apply to people of all ages and that both men and women are equally affected by these risks. This means that the more paraben-containing items that you are using on your body, the higher your risk is for endocrine-based health concerns, problems with hormone balance, and cancer.
Long-chain parabens, in particular, seem to be linked with health risks in particular. Always avoid buying skincare and haircare products that include parabens, especially those of this kind. Long-chain parabens isobutyl-, butyl-, isopropyl-, and propylparaben are the highest-risk ingredients that you will want to avoid in specific. However, the more organic and non-paraben products you use to care for your skin and hair, the better.
Long-chain parabens have been more closely linked to estrogenic activity, which means that those who are taking hormone replacement medications or those who are on birth control might be more sensitive to the effects of these parabens. These parabens are most closely linked with fertility problems as well. These effects have been clearly shown in animal studies as well as human studies.
The primary products that still tend to contain parabens are leave-on products or rinse-off products. Those products that have a high water content will almost always still have parabens in their ingredients list. Toothpaste, deodorants, skin cleansers, sunscreens, shaving gels, and makeup are still the worst offenders for paraben ingredients.
If you learn the names of the main paraben formulas, you can easily spot these ingredients when you are looking into the formulas of products that you might want to get for your skin or hair care needs. These are really common ingredients in items that you can get off the shelf at the grocery store or at a quick-stop shopping location, so you might also need to get connected with an online seller for better-quality products which do not have parabens in them.
Learning to read the ingredient lists for the products that you buy to care for your hair and skin is important. There are many products that are still sold with these toxic ingredients included, and you will be much less likely to be exposed to the health risks they present if you learn to have your eyes open for these ingredients in all kinds of products.
This article was last updated on May 29, 2023 .