Paraben-Free Skincare – Are There Really Paraben-Free Skincare Products and Where Can You Find Them?
There is a great demand nowadays for paraben-free skincare products and wrinkle control ranges. There are a variety of reasons why women are increasingly going for paraben-free skincare products instead of the conventional super expensive branded cosmetics.
One main reason is that awareness levels are quite high about the harmful side effects of synthetic ingredients and another factor is that women have finally drilled it into their heads that cosmetics with sky high price tags aren’t necessarily the best in the market and not always the best things for their skin.
What is this big brouhaha over Parabens?
This is a class of chemicals that are used in almost all kinds of cosmetics as preservatives. Just check the ingredients label of your moisturizer’s or crème’s carton and you will find the names methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, butyl paraben and other such types written beneath the preservatives segment.
They also serve many different purposes but their chief function is to act as fungicidal agents and bacteriological agents. That means in their capacity of preservatives, their main function is to work against fungi and bacteria.
They are also extremely cheap, which is the main reason why cosmetic companies love to use Parabens as preservatives and they are also found in a wide array of products like pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, shaving gels, shampoos, conditioners, skin care products and personal hygiene products.
But after the brouhaha over Parabens and paraben-free skincare products, obviously these cosmetic giants are trying to claim that Parabens are safe and have been used for decades, but these claims are now being disputed.
Why are Parabens dangerous?
Parabens disrupt the normal functioning of the endocrine system of the body, lead to skin rashes, allergic reactions, skin itching and irritation and are also carcinogenic in nature. Medical research and clinical studies have come to the conclusion that there is a direct link between breast cancer and Parabens.
You see in 18 of the 20 breast cancer patients who were studied, doctors found Parabens in the breast tissues. The conclusion is that Parabens maximize breast cancer cell proliferation and decrease uterine weight after long and sustained use over the years.
Parabens have also been found to negatively affect the hormonal balance in the body. Another cause of concern is that our blood and our skin directly and readily absorb Parabens and these Parabens are directly detected in the blood stream very soon afterwards.
Butyl Parabens reduce sperm count and methyl Parabens have been found to increase the UV induced damage.
You should always settle for paraben-free skincare products that are 100% organic and are enriched with active super ingredients like phytessence wakame, cynergy TK, CO enzyme Q 10, nano lipobelle, Manuka honey, Resveratrol, collagen, elastin and super anti oxidants, vegetal glycerol, papaya extracts, vitamins, calcium, minerals, tomato extracts etc.