Parabens: Dubious Preservatives

The infamous family of preservatives known as parabens has been present in commercial products for years and, until recently, has gone largely undetected and unprotested. Chemically, parabens are esters formed from para-hydroxybenzoic acid, parts of which are directly related to highly toxic alkaloid substances such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl. Some paraben-like compounds are found naturally, secreted by plants, but those in commercial products are created synthetically as preservatives.

Parabens are used primarily in cosmetics and hygiene products, including makeup, lotions, and hair care products. Manufacturers of these items have found that including small amounts of parabens in their products keeps bacteria and other undesirable organisms from growing while the items are being used. Unfortunately, the same toxic qualities that keep out bacteria also have unhealthy effects on the human body.

The series of studies conducted on paraben dangers in both animals and humans follow the all too common back and forth history of disputed chemicals. Certain studies have shown that parabens can have a series of dangerous effects on the human body, especially for women and young children. These studies are then combated by other studies encouraged by companies which use parabens, introducing doubt and questioning the parameters of previous tests, which are then repeated in a cycle that can take decades to resolve.

In summary, parabens can imitate the effects of estrogen in the body. Since hormone chemicals are strictly regulated by the body’s glands, introducing extra amounts of these chemicals–or compounds which imitate them–can cause severe complications over a long period of time. Parabens can cause breast cancer in women through these effects, and prove especially dangerous to young children whose systems are still underdeveloped. In male children the estrogen-imitating qualities of parabens can cause problems with testicular development and testosterone production.

Cosmetics can be a dangerous source of parabens because many of the safety laws that govern chemicals used in foods or drugs do not apply to cosmetic compounds, which is why parabens are found only occasionally in food products but are common in cosmetics. Laws do require cosmetics to list all the ingredients they use, so parabens can be spotted by looking for their prefixes–ingredients that start with methyl, ethyl, propyl, and especially butyl are suspect. Once applied, cosmetics interact with the skin and scalp and their chemicals can be absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream.

Fortunately, there are organic cosmetic options available at many stores, and the effectiveness of cosmetics is not harmed at all by leaving out parabens and other synthetic agents. Usually, it is only the different between a shelf life of a couple years and a shelf life of 12 to 18 months for the organic version.