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Finding Paraben Free Skin Care Products

By Nelda Powers


These days it is common to see paraben free skin care products on the shelves of health food stores and conventional grocery, drug, and department stores. You might be wondering what parabens are and why you would want to avoid them. There is an on-going debate on whether this class of chemical compounds is safe or if there is a health risk to their use.

Parabens do exist in nature; they are naturally found in blueberries, for one. But it's the man-made chemical compounds that are widely used in the cosmetic, body care, and food industry. They act as preservatives, killing bacteria and fungus and inhibiting their growth in packaged products. They've been used for decades, and it's only now that what some consider the 'long term' effects are suspected to be harmful.

Today there is much debate on the safety of these additives. The facts that they have been used for so long, that they are non-irritating, and that few people are allergic to them causes manufacturers to claim they have proved to be safe. Their presence in breast cancer tumor tissue makes others fear that they pose a health risk.

Parabens are among the most common ingredients in most cosmetics, nail products, moisturizers, soaps, shaving gels, shampoos, sunscreens, deodorants, and other topical products. They also are used as preserving agents in many processed foods. The fact that they are so widely used may be the problem. Whereas a little of the chemicals might not pose a risk, too much might be toxic.

Check the ingredients of things you use. If there is a compound with ethyl, propyl, methyl, butyl, or heptyl in the name, you'll know that the product contains chemical parabens. There are other forms of these preserving alcohols, as well. It's also true that chemicals substituted for parabens may not be any safer, or they may be worse.

After finding traces of parabens, which are weak estrogen mimics in the human and animal body, in cancerous tumors, researchers began to conduct more safety tests. Some experts think that these chemicals can disrupt the hormonal balance in both women and men. There is evidence that they suppress the production of sperm and testosterone in males. They also may increase sensitivity to the rays of the sun - ironic when they are used in sunscreens - and cause accelerated aging of the skin.

Many product lines today are paraben-free, but that does not mean that the ingredients are all good for your skin and system. The art of preserving shelf items for months or even years is a delicate one. Natural products often contain essential oils, herbals, and vitamins to keep them pure and stable.

Many people prefer to err on the side of safety by choosing paraben free skin care products. It is still important to know what is in the products you put on your skin, which readily absorbs many natural and synthetic substances.




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Finding Paraben Free Skin Care Products Finding Paraben Free Skin Care Products Reviewed by Mohamed on février 07, 2014 Rating: 5

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