The Paraben Myth

This is probably one of the most controversial topics in skin care.  Many people believe that parabens cause breast cancer.  Lots of companies advertise products that are “paraben-free” and spend their time and money convincing you that you shouldn’t use products with parabens.  Hmmm....let’s take a look at the evidence and then you can make your decision accordingly.

First, what are parabens?  They are chemicals that are used to preserve foods, deodorants, antiperspirants and cosmetics.  They protect the product from a broad range of microorganisms (bacteria AND fungus) that could ruin the product or cause illness or infection in the user.  They are extremely effective, low cost and have a long history of use.  That all sounds sounds pretty reasonable to me.

What evidence exists to show that parabens cause breast cancer (as many people claim)?  I found this article from the National Cancer Institute that is pretty helpful in discussing what research has shown.  Basically, a 2004 study found parabens in 18 of 20 breast cancer tissue samples.  The study did not look at healthy breast tissue samples to determine if parabens were present there.  There have also been other studies that specifically looked at breast cancer patients who used antiperspirants and deodorants and shaved.  All of the research was inconclusive and there is no research available that proves that parabens cause breast cancer.  More research is needed and I’m sure that we will hear more on this topic in the next few years due to the controversy (and the large amount of funding that is available for breast cancer research).

What do the “powers that be” say about parabens?  Check out this information from the FDA.  The Cosmetic Ingredient Review board concluded that parabens were safe for use in cosmetics at levels of up to 25%.  WOW!  Did you know that it only takes a concentration of 0.01% to 0.3% to properly preserve a product.  The next time you look at the ingredients on your product, notice that parabens are usually listed last or next to last.  That is because the ingredients are listed in order of concentration from high to low and parabens are used in extremely low concentrations.  

So, my take on parabens is that they are safe for use and very effective.  We use them in very low amounts at SimplySkin Rx and will continue to do so until one of two things happen.  If we find a preservative that is more effective or if parabens are ever proven to be harmful we would immediately remove them.  I know this is a sensitive subject because breast cancer has touched so many of us and those around us.  If you’ve looked at all of the research and you STILL think that you want to go paraben free there are definitely products that are available to you.  

I hope that this was helpful in sorting out the facts vs. the hype.  Leave your comments below!