Are the dangers of paraben real or imaginary? There is no shortage of information on this subject, and their use is incredibly common. Unfortunately, the law, as it stands at this point, allows the cosmetic industry to use almost any substance in its products without any approval from the FDA or any other government agency. So, what exactly is this about paraben that bothers people?
Paraben is a class of chemicals that are widely used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Their effectiveness as preservatives and their low cost, in addition to their bactericidal and fungicidal properties, make them ideal for a wide range of products. They can be found in shampoos, shaving gels, commercial moisturizers, toothpaste and a variety of similar products.
Various studies of parabens were carried out, which could not prove that parabens can be associated with cancer. However, some results are very exciting. Take, for example, a British study that found high concentrations of paraben in 18 of 20 samples of breast tumors.
Here is the real interesting part, 60% of the tumors were found in one area, the upper outer quadrant near the armpits. Why has such a large proportion been found in this particular area, for sure you should find them equally on the entire breast area?
Modern science can identify where these parabens occur on the basis of their chemical form or fingerprint. It was found that everything comes from something applied to the skin, the leading pretenders are creams, body sprays, antiperspirants or body sprays.
While these studies and others unequivocally demonstrate that parabens are associated with tumors, they are not convinced of their safety. However, from the evidence available you should be aware of the potential danger of paraben. Another point to keep in mind is that at the moment no one is aware of the consequences of prolonged use of products containing parabens.
So is there an alternative? Fortunately, nature has provided us with vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), and thanks to its powerful antioxidant properties, it acts as a natural preservative to prolong the life of products, preventing their oxidation and rancid.
There are some skin care products that are made by companies that actually use natural vitamin E. Even so, some of them include it mainly for marketing purposes, as they are in such small quantities, usually from 0 , 1% to 0.2%. You need to look for products that contain from 0.5% to 1%.
Companies that use natural vitamin E also make skin care products that are made entirely from natural compounds. Using natural compounds, you completely eliminate the risk of side effects, in addition to being completely safe, they are suitable for all skin types and in all climates.
