parabens

EU Committee Thinks Parabens May Be Safe
Eco

EU Commission Finds Parabens (Mostly) Safe

Over the last few years, there's been a lot of back and forth about parabens, especially their possible effects as reproductive hormone disruptors.
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Over the last few years, there's been a lot of back and forth about parabens, especially their possible effects as reproductive hormone disruptors. Now, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has released an opinion suggesting that, according to the available data, "systemic exposure from typical cosmetic use scenarios will be negligible."

The committee found that, at least with respect to the current model, only about one percent of butyl- and propyl-parabens put on skin actually gets into your system without breaking down. However, they also requested that a skin metabolism study be conducted, since none of the current data is totally conclusive. Basically, they're taking a tentative step toward saying that parabens are safe, which would be nice since they're in so many products. But is "we think it's probably OK" enough of an assurance for consumers?

President's Cancer Panel Report: Findings on Cosmetic Safety of Parabens and Phthalates
Cosmetic Safety

The Prez's Cancer Panel Weighs in on Cosmetic Safety

Interesting news on the cosmetic-safety front this week: the President's Cancer Panel has released a report on the thousands of chemicals Americans use on a daily basis.
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Interesting news on the cosmetic-safety front this week: the President's Cancer Panel has released a report on the thousands of chemicals Americans use on a daily basis. Its conclusion: environmental exposure to some chemicals in air, food, water — and yes, personal care products — is placing people in "grievous harm." The number of cancers linked to these chemicals, the report says, has been "grossly underestimated."

The report (which is worth reading) spans subjects from fertilizers to military activities, but let's focus on personal care products. Environmental activists have long questioned the safety of endocrine-disrupting ingredients like phthalates and parabens, both of which are commonly used in cosmetics. But the PCP is as mainstream as it gets, and it says phthalates disrupt the body's natural hormone system. Its report acknowledges that more research into these ingredients is needed and suggests taking a "precautionary approach" to them for now.

To find out what's next, and what the American Cancer Society has to say, keep reading

Dangerous Beauty Ingredients Quiz
Earth Month

What Do You Know About the "Bad" Beauty Ingredients?

April is Earth Month, a great time to think about what you put on your body and how it affects you — and the earth, for that matter.
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April is Earth Month, a great time to think about what you put on your body and how it affects you — and the earth, for that matter. You probably see ads just about everywhere you look promoting 100 percent natural this and organic that. There are many not-so-friendly ingredients you've probably heard listed time and time again, but do you have a good grasp on what they all mean? Take my quiz to find out. This topic may be a little gloomy, but it's always better to be safe than sorry, no?

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Cosmetics Ingredient to Avoid: Parabens
healthy living

Cosmetics Ingredient Alert: Parabens

While the FDA claims parabens are safe, this chemical preservative is still quite controversial.
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While the FDA claims parabens are safe, this chemical preservative is still quite controversial. Used in shampoos, moisturizers, and even toothpaste, parabens are considered hormonally disruptive by many environmental-health scientists. This chemical is known as a weak estrogen mimic and has been found in trace amounts in biopsied breast cancer tumors. There are many alternative cosmetics preservatives, and two are derived from a couple of my favorite substances: sugar and milk. Enzymes from these two popular foods absorb oxygen in order to prevent bacterial growth. Look for the sugar enzyme glucose oxidase or the milk enzyme lactoperoxsidase on the ingredient list of your face wash, conditioner, and moisturizer. Burt's Bees makes paraben free products, including shampoo, as does Jason Natural. When it comes to your long term health, it pays to be a label reader of shampoo too.

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Parabens, Paraben
Glossary

Definition: Parabens

Parabens are groups of chemicals used as preservatives in a wide variety of beauty products (up to 90 percent of them, from shampoo to toothpaste to self-tanner) and sometimes as food additives.
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Parabens are groups of chemicals used as preservatives in a wide variety of beauty products (up to 90 percent of them, from shampoo to toothpaste to self-tanner) and sometimes as food additives. Some parabens are found in nature, like the antimicrobal fruit of the blueberry shrub, but all commercial types are synthetic.

Despite many years of seemingly safe use, studies have begun to suggest that the use of parabens is less than healthy. One of the most famous studies linked the use of parabens in antiperspirants to breast cancer after researchers found parabens in samples of breast tumors. According to the American Cancer Society, there is "no good scientific evidence to support this claim" and "ongoing studies to date have not shown any direct link between parabens and breast cancer risk" — but the organization does acknowledge the need for further scientific investigation. Many companies have released paraben-free products that are worth a try while the jury's out.

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Do You Worry About Chemicals in Your Makeup?
Poll

Do You Worry About Chemicals in Your Makeup?

I just read about the amount of chemicals in cosmetics, and it's pretty interesting stuff: Cosmetics contain many different kinds of chemicals, but of particular concern are a group of preservatives called parabens, which by some estimates are found in 99% of all 'leave on' cosmetics, and 77% of "rinse off" cosmetics.
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I just read about the amount of chemicals in cosmetics, and it's pretty interesting stuff:

Cosmetics contain many different kinds of chemicals, but of particular concern are a group of preservatives called parabens, which by some estimates are found in 99% of all 'leave on' cosmetics, and 77% of "rinse off" cosmetics. These are known hormone disruptors: evidence suggests they can mimic the female hormone estrogen, and a lifetime of increased exposure to estrogen is linked to a heightened risk of breast cancer.

The jury's still out on whether chemicals in cosmetics lead to health problems, but this is worth noting: The FDA does not review or approve cosmetics. Still, I looked into the above example, and over the last few years, FDA-associated scientists researched the safety of parabens. The official stance? "FDA believes that at the present time there is no reason for consumers to be concerned about the use of cosmetics containing parabens."

So where do you stand? Are you concerned about chemicals, or do you feel safe?

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