Contributor to the society of Microbiologists. Six years of experience in testing and researching in cosmetic formulations.
'Paraben' might not be an alien word for those who really consider the effects of ingredients on a product label before its purchase, unfortunately, some products with paraben don’t even claim its presence, parabens are present in many of the conventional products including makeups, moisturizers, hair-care products, and shaving creams that are used widely.
Why it’s not paraben-free?
Parabens are synthetic chemicals that are used as preservatives in commercial products including food, medicines, and cosmetic products. Parabens are derived from a chemical known as para-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA). Just like we add vinegar to the pickle, paraben is advocated as a preservative for cosmetic products to enhance their shelf life and to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. It is considered as an inevitable part of many cosmetics, skincare, and hair care products! Though there are numerous paraben-free products available in the market.
The dermal absorption
The ease at which substances are absorbed into our skin depends on a number of factors, including the structure and size of the chemical applied to the skin. While a lot of chemicals are simply too big to be absorbed by the skin, others are just small enough. Yes, it's written like 'External use only' but what happens when it reaches your body internally. Studies have shown that dermal application of lotions and cleansers may result in small amounts of parabens being absorbed through the skin and reaching our bloodstream. Paraben is quickly eliminated by the body, sometimes its parent compounds can be there in urine!
Endocrine disruptor
Paraben is considered as one of the EDC chemical (endocrine-disrupting chemical)
It’s also found that the exposure of paraben can cause negligible effects on the endocrine system, but when we are exposed to a variety of products containing paraben the effect doubles! Sometimes even one product may contain different types of paraben. It has the characteristics of mimicking hormones, especially in the female body it can act like estrogen, the side effect is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and even reproductive toxicity.
Choose wisely
Maybe many of your regular beauty products contain a wide variety of parabens like methylparaben propylparaben, alkyl para hydroxybenzoate, and butylparaben, read labels carefully to know more, Avoiding the products containing paraben can help you to achieve healthier skin and protection from many allergies and related consequences! Some of the products with bare minerals are paraben-free, anyhow, it is important to read the labels carefully if you really want to kick off such products.
Skin is the largest protective organ of your holy body, therefore it shouldn’t be consciously exposed to the threat of harmful chemicals present in products that we use regularly!
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