We are all seeing the term ‘Paraben Free’ on more and more products. Even Nivea has jumped on to the band wagon.
But what are Parabens and why should I avoid them?
Ethyl, butyl, propyl and methyl – parabens are preservatives and they are very good at their job. Whenever water is added to a cosmetic it creates an environment for bacteria growth. This bacteria is not good for your wellbeing. Parabens are a broad spectrum preservative which inhibits bacteria, fungal and microbial growth and they are cheap. Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it?
A quick google search and you will find grave warnings about health risks of parabens, and others saying those warnings are complete nonsense. We’re going to shed some light on the situation for you.
The warnings all stem from a study done by Professor Darbe (University of Reading UK) which detected parabens in 18 out of 20 breast cancer tumour samples. People jumped straight to the conclusion that parabens = breast cancer. This actually has yet to be proven and is why you will find some people arguing that ‘parabens are safe’.
Even though there is no direct link between Parabens and cancers there are some other good reasons why we may want our products to be free of them:
- Parabens do penetrate the skin and have been found in urine and breast cancer tissue.
- The European Commission on Endocrine Disruption has listed parabens as Category 1 priority substances to be avoided, based on evidence that they interfere with hormone function.
- Parabens may also interfere with male reproductive functions.
- Studies show that methylparaben applied on the skin reacts with UVB leading to increased skin aging and DNA damage.
Source: https://davidsuzuki.org/queen-of-green/dirty-dozen-parabens/
Is their enough of a question mark for you to try and avoid parabens?
We think so. That is why we made the conscious decision to not use parabens. We have also gone one step further with some of our products. Since preservatives are usually only required when water is added to products, we leave out the water and just use pure, cold pressed, organic oils.
Just the way nature intended. Just like the extra virgin olive oil you eat for dinner.
To check out our oils click here. We have a few in the range now helping with dry skin, irritated skin, blemishes, scars, stretch marks and of course easy everyday care.
Check out our paraben-free product range:
- Oily skin? Pimples? Acne? You should look at the Anti-Blemish Facial Oil
- Irritated skin? Itchy? Eczema? You might find relief with our Organic Tamanu Oil
- Has your skin been damaged? In need of repair? The Intensive Repair Oil will make your skin healthy
- Looking for a general body moisturiser? The TLC Oil is for you
