More research has been found on Parabens and it is causing a media frenzy. If you have read 'Like Chocolate For Women' or use Twenty8 Chemical Free Skincare you will be well aware that this is one of those ‘questionable ingredients’ we constantly question the use of. We love it when more research hits the news as a new level of awareness comes with it. They say people need to hear things at least seven times before they make a change so let's hope more and more people are understanding there is absolutely NO need to have these nasties placed on our precious skin day in day out . So lets do a little re-cap and see what all the fuss is about and what this new research confirms.

 

What are Parabens? Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of formulas. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties.

 

You find them in almost every cosmetic product; shampoos, skincare, shaving gels, spray tanning solutions, toothpaste, make-up, even personal lubricants.  Common parabens include methylparaben (E number E218), ethylparaben (E214), propylparaben (E216) and butylparaben. Less common parabens include isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, benzylparaben and their sodium salts. These will tend to be listed in the ingredients section of the product you are purchasing and are used to help extend the shelf life of all products many for up to 7-10 years. By the way 'hydroxyl benzoate' is another name for preservatives so if you see this in the list of ingredients you can be assured it is just another name for parabens.

 

Parabens are or should we say were considered to be safe because of their low toxicity profile and their long history of safe use; however many studies have begun to challenge this view due to the increased number of cancers, illnesses and diseases now being linked to them. In fact there are many other questionable ingredients now linked to and known to cause illness or disease. Here's just a few!

 

 

 

For many years some researchers have claimed that parabens act as endocrine disruptors (they disrupt our hormone system), men or women, estrogen or testosterone. Endocrine disruptors are chemical substances, primarily man-made synthetics, that interfere with the functioning of the endocrine/hormone system. These chemicals mimic, block or disrupt the actions of human (and animal) hormones and, unexpectedly, do more damage at LOW levels of exposure than at high levels. They are also stored in our fatty tissue and accumulate over the years.

 

The endocrine system regulates every function of the body. It consists of the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries and testes, all of these are linked to the hypothalamus in the brain which is like our main computer centre if you like. Previous studies have shown parabens can also work in sinister yet subtle ways by disrupting the body’s ability to produce adequate quantities of hormones or by interfering with the body’s hormonal pathways. One single chemical can affect many parts of the endocrine system. Often minute amounts of several of these environmental hormone chemicals can combine to create effects thousands of times more potent than a single chemical.

 

Of course many have laughed this off saying parabens have been used for years with no problems! When we starting developing our own skincare range over 10years ago we kept getting told it could not be done without parabens. In fact many a scientist or skincare manufacturer told us we would be doing our customers a disservice not having parabens as the minute amount of toxicity is far less harmful than what bacteria could do. They often scoffed at us as though we were uneducated deliquents. But to us (and many of you know our viewpoint), when something is QUESTIONABLE especially when serious claims are being made against any ingredient then we choose to avoid it, especially if we know there are other natural alternatives on offer!

 

When a new study like this comes along, confirming how these chemicals are stored in the body, we feel even more grateful we did not succumb to the pressures of including them.

 

From the Daily Mail website: “A chemical widely used as a preservative in cosmetics, food products and pharmaceuticals has been found in tissue samples from 40 women with breast cancer. A number of studies since 1998 have raised concerns about the potential role of these parabens in breast cancer as they possess oestrogenic properties. Oestrogen is known to play a central role in the development, growth and progression of breast cancer.

 

Parabens are a chemical compound found in everyday toiletry products including moisturisers, make-up, shaving foam, tanning lotions and toothpaste. They are also found in numerous brands of underarm deodorant. However, a causal link has never been found between them and breast cancer. They are present in processed meats such as sausages, pies and pastries along with other savoury snacks.

 

The research team led by Dr Philippa Darbre from the University of Reading studied tissue samples from 40 women undergoing mastectomies between 2005 and 2008 for first primary breast cancer in England. In total, 160 samples were collected, four from each woman. They found 99 per cent of the tissue samples contained at least one paraben and 60 per cent of the samples had five.” Read the rest of the article here.

 

99%???? Holy heck... To us this is a huge wake up call. If we keep ignoring these findings and ignore the doubts we may be having about using such chemicals then we will simply pay the price with our health.

 

So what do we suggest then? READ your labels.

 

 

We tend to look for things like above. We do NOT buy anything that has ANY one paraben in it. Quite frankly when we see a label that contains parabens it shows us exactly how that company thinks. Just like the scientists and manufacturers we have spoken to over the years that believe small amounts is ok, we can see that there is little thought given to the overall and long term accumulation effect and therefore the health and wellbeing of the end user. And trust us, we have had just as much chemical and scientific jargon, reports and research thrown at us proving how amazing parabens are. Like anything you will always find amazing research to back up any ingredients use and its effectiveness. For us, we like to read and interview people as much as we can and we gather all the research we find. The minute we see there is question over its use or that it has endocrine disrupting abilities - we are outta there!!

 

 

 

Our advice is simple... get back to basics, get close to nature and take responsibility for your health. It’s as simple as a choice - choose products with parabens or don't. Choose synthetic or natural! Oh gosh the word 'natural' of course that raises another question on what is natural - if you're keen and interested to know more about that then that's another blog in itself! Let us know if you want it!

 

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