The Dangers of Parabens
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Parabens are affecting fish and us too!
You may be hearing a lot lately about parabens…but what are they and why should we be concerned about them? Parabens are a group of preservatives used in over 25,000 cosmetics and personal care products. Which of these items do you think contain parabens? Shampoos, conditoners, make-up, tanning oils, styling mousse, body wash, toothpaste, tooth whitening products?
All of them do. If you check your label, anything that contains the word “paraben” is a product you should discontinue using. I stopped using any product containing this toxin years ago and when I check ingredient labels now, if I see parabens, I put it down. Here are the most common parabens found in personal care products:
- methylparaben
- ethylparaben
- propylparaben
- isobutylparaben
- butylparaben
- benzylparaben
Parabens are artificial ingredients the body readily absorbs. Studies show they affect hormones and mimic estrogen (and too much estrogen is not a good thing, for women OR men.) Excess estrogen has the potential to cause breast cancer, in fact, parabens were found in breast cancer tumors of women and in urine of people tested by the CDC (so the body does retain it.) Parabens are so prevalent in personal care products today that more boys are being born with deformed reproductive organs. A study recently done on fish in the Potomac shows that male fish are being transformed into “intersex fish” – male fish born with female characteristics. This is nature’s way of warning us to stop using parabens in our products. It is something pregnant women should most definitely avoid.
Many companies are finally admitting to the dangers of parabens and are offering paraben-free products. Just be sure to read the rest of the ingredients, because they may still contain some toxins. So I give you this challenge: Go check the labels of some of your products. I guarantee that most, if not all, will contain parabens….and leave a comment here to let us know if you’ve decided to ban parabens from your products!
If you’d like to read more about these “intersex” fish, click here to read the NY Times article: “It’s Time to Learn From Frogs.”
Click here for more information on safe skin care: Pure Radiance Anti Aging Skin Care
Check out this informative news story regarding toxins in cosmetics today (parabens are mentioned.) It’s a must watch!
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One of the things that worries me the most is that Parabens are even in personal lubricants. As absorbent as the vaginal lining is that should be cause for concern to most women. We know these things are causing problems and yet drug stores still carry these products. I guess if they won’t tell you about the Parabens in your skin cream why would they tell you about the ones in your lube.
Hi Sandra,
Parabens in lubes isn’t something I gave too much attention to in this article, but it’s something women should know about and avoid. Lubes can contain some of the most damaging ingredients and most women are unaware. In addition to parabens, lubes also may contain propylene glycol, a common ingredient in motor oil! I plan on doing a future post about lubricants since so many women (and men, in effect) are putting themselves at risk. Your comment is highly appreciated!
Robin