The History Behind Parabens and Why They Are Prominent in Most Skincare Products
A common ingredient in cosmetics has been the source of vilification among consumers and health advocates for years. More paraben-free products have been joining the cosmetic market to give more natural alternative sources to consumers. By understanding paraben dangers and knowing whether to seek out different products, you will be a step ahead on your protecting your health both internally and externally.
What Are Parabens?
Parabens are the most widely used preservatives that are used in personal care products. They are used to stop the growth of fungus, bacteria, and other microbes in makeup, creams, and other products. Typically, people keep these sorts of products in their bathrooms, where there is a moist and warm environment. This type of environment creates a prime and ideal condition for bacteria to grow, which is why parabens are added to these products.
HISTORY OF PARABENS IN COSMETICS AND SKINCARE
Since the 1950s, parabens have been widely used throughout numerous products as a go-to preservative. The skincare and cosmetic industry brands have used these since they are inexpensive and effective. When the 1990’s came around, parabens were deemed as xenoestrogens. These are agents that mimic estrogen in the body, creating an estrogen disruption. By using products containing these, absorption into the skin will inevitably happen, bringing estrogen into the body unnecessarily. Over time, this could accumulate certain health risks in the users.
How Dangerous Are Parabens?
The skincare we use every day is not necessarily purchased senselessly or without a reason behind that particular product. Reading ingredient labels can sometimes get tedious and overwhelming with hard to pronounce and unrecognizable words. Parabens are in nearly 85 percent of cosmetic products and have lengthy names. Some words you may find include methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and isobutylparaben. Since the preservatives are allowed to be in the products, how dangerous are parabens and is paraben safe for your skin?
Without proper medical attribution to a specific factor, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether a particular substance is causing harm to our bodies. A debate has built however among scientists, product safety regulators and the manufacturers about the safety of these chemicals.
Some questions of concern include incidences of breast cancer that have actually been linked to paraben chemicals existing within breast cancer tumors. Although studies do not prove parabens cause cancer, they are easily detected among the cancerous cells. What concerns many people is the underlying impact over the continued use of chemical-infused products including parabens. We use skin care products every day, even multiple times a day. With an unknown timeline of negative effects with long-term absorption, many find it best to stay clear of parabens.
Alternatives To Paraben Products
Moisturization, antibacterial properties, healing, wrinkle repair, relief of irritation, and solving further skin problems is what we crave in skincare products. Although we do not desire chemicals and potentially harmful added ingredients, they are, unfortunately, in many of these products. With thousands of products including parabens as their preservative, how can you avoid these and still get the results you need?
Paraben-free products are the answer! Natural products without harsh preservatives, fragrances, dyes, and other harmful substances are attainable and do indeed work. Wild Naturals has a solution for nearly every skin concern you may have. With paraben-free ingredients, there is no need to worry about paraben dangers, since there are none! Whether you are in need of deep retention of moisture, or simply skin tone improvement or accelerated skin cell growth, Wild Naturals has you covered with the best paraben-free products.
