Why Go Paraben-Free?
A group of preservatives commonly used in antiperspirants, cosmetics and other skin care products has been receiving a lot of attention lately. These preservatives, called parabens, have been used in shampoos, moisturizers, shaving gels, toothpaste and other personal care products for years, because of their effectiveness and low cost. However, some disadvantages to parabens have become known over the past few years. For most people with normal skin, parabens are non-irritating. However, the four most common parabensmethylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparabencan cause an allergic reaction called contact dermatitis and other skin irritations in people with certain sensitive skin conditions such as Rosacea. In addition, researchers in the U.K. released a report a few years ago that shows a link between parabens and breast cancer. Trace amounts of parabens were found in breast cancer tumors, leading some experts to believe that parabens can promote the growth of estrogen-d
