We have all heard about paraben but what are these, why is it used and how does it affects us ? Lets find out together.
Parabens are a class of chemicals used widely in cosmetic and personal care industry as preservatives. It has a long history of usage in the industry probably because it is cheap and increases the shelf life dramatically. It is prevents bacterial growth in the products, it is mostly found in products high in water contents like shampoo, lotion, scrubs, wash etc. Although there is a limit on individual paraben in a product but it does not account for multiple paraben in one single product or exposure on a single person by multiple products.
According to EWG Skin Deep database paraben are found in well over 25,000 products. All of these chemicals are absorbed in our body. Paraben are linked to breast tumors, reproductive defects, neurological defects and they are believed to disrupt hormone balance by mimicking estrogen. While it does protect bacterial growth in products it has adverse effect on body cells.
How do we avoid paraben? Look for products which are paraben free. Another trick is to buy products which are natural and may have shorter shelf life. Chances are if you like something you will use it sooner and it will not end up sitting on your shelf longer than it needs to be.
So lets go paraben free and say bye bye to all those nasty exposure it can bring along.
