Ive been hearing a lot about parabens lately. What are parabens?
Butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben are the most commonly used cosmetic preservatives in the United States. They are very inexpensive and easy to use, which makes them very desirable. Paraben preservatives can be found in approximately 20,000 personal care products, including “natural” products. Methylparaben can cause allergic reactions and propylparaben can cause contact dermatitis. However, more importantly, recent studies have shown that parabens can also penetrate the skin and seep into the tissue. This concerns researchers because parabens have been shown to be able to mimic the action of estrogen, which can encourage breast cancer cell growth. In a recent U.K. study 20 breast tumors were analyzed and high concentrations of parabens were found in 18 of the 20 tumors. From the research it is not possible to determine whether the parabens actually caused the tumors, but this new information does raise many concerns.
