Clean Cosmetics - a Closer Look at Parabens

I find the topic of safety of cosmetics fascinating and the more I look into this the more I realize that this is really controversial. The only thing everyone seems to agree on is that there is a lack of research. I found that it was easier to start some where and for some reason I had parabens on my mind, so why not start there?

Parabens are preservatives that are found in personal care products, make up, pharmaceuticals and even food. They are cheep to produce, effective bactericidal and fungicidal properties and have been used for years. Products need preservatives to keep from growing bacterial colonies or fungi, both of which are gross but also potentially dangerous. In more recent studies parabens have been found in breast cancer cells and have been found to mimic estrogen. The piece about parabens being found in breast cancer tissue doesn't however show that they case cancer, rather that the molecules are absorbed and stored by the tissue. The research that parabens are carcinogenic (cancer causing) is simply not there. The direct link has not been proven, but it has also not been disproven which makes all of this so controversial. Because not knowing means we can trust that its been like this for long enough or to avoid a potential risk to minimize any unwanted side effects. Parabens are also believed to mimic estrogen, which I personally find far more frightening. Any hormone or hormone mimicking substance can affect fertility and the general homeostasis and balance of your body this is particularly strong in children and children in puberty. When we are no longer developing the effects are not quite as severe, but also rather controversial and honestly a whole topic of its own. Studies also indicate that methylparaben in skin products reacts with UVB rays and increases skin aging and damages DNA.

 Essentially: knowledge is power and knowing what the deal is is crucial to deciding what products you want to use and buy. So I implore you to be informed, because this is an overview and I am not an expert and all the information I found is available on line. I take form this that I will from this day buy products that stay on my skin and are exposed to sun without parabens and minimize my exposure to them through “rinse off” products.