I don't know a thing about you but I bet you're just as confused as am about the controversy surrounding the use of paraben in skin care products.
So I did some research into all the fuss about paraben free products.
What I found was very interesting and may help you make up your own mind about this issue.
What is paraben? Simply defined, it is a preservative that is added to skin care products to prevent the growth of disease-causing germs, molds and yeasts.
Given the fact that these products spend a lot time being shipped in the back of hot trucks, sit on store shelves for indefinite periods of time and then end up in our humid, germy bathrooms means that preservatives are not optional.
Can you imagine the spoiled mess you would see and smell if you opened a jar of face cream or bottle of lotion that didn't contain a preservative? However, there is a growing concern of medical experts who are worried about a potential link between paraben and increased numbers of breast cancer.
What is paraben when it comes to contributing to the risk of this dreaded disease? What do some researchers say? Researchers at the University of Reading, in England published the results of a research project conducted on samples of tissue taken from breast tumor biopsies.
Parabens were detected in 18 of the 20 samples.
It must be pointed out, though, that this was not direct proof that this substance caused cancer.
The only conclusion that could be made was that paraben was easily observed among the cancer cells.
These researchers were also called out for not comparing these results against normal tissue.
Other research that encourages the use of paraben free products includes a study conducted by the Department of Biology and Biochemistry of Brunel University in the UK.
In addition to finding that parabens are weakly estrogenic (i.
e.
, able to act like estrogen) one of the researchers, Professor John Sumpter, publicly expressed his concern in a newspaper article, over the increase in breast cancer in women and falling sperm counts in men.
But again, it has to be pointed out that the results of this study came from tests on animals only.
Tests on humans have yet to be done.
On the other side...
Parabens have been used for the last 50 years.
While most people haven't experienced any adverse reaction, there are those with skin sensitivities that may benefit from using papraben free products.
Companies that promote natural skin care products continue to defend the use of parabens because they are derived from benzoic acid, which is found in nature.
They believe that the greater threat comes from using skin care creams and lotions that have been improperly preserved.
There currently doesn't seem to be a truly effective, natural alternative preservative.
Research continues into natural substances and vitamins with preservative properties, like Tea Tree oil.
However, these natural preservatives work only on certain types of bacteria, under certain conditions.
The verdict on paraben free products? Its evident that consumers are going to continue to pressure cosmetic companies to find natural alternatives to this controversial preservative.
Alain Ménard, a producer of paraben free products notes, "I'm sure that in the next 10 years, parabens will be phased out.
That may not be so much because of conclusive evidence as consumer demand.
" Many companies are already making an effort to respond to this demand.
There is a trade-off, however, when it comes to the shelf-life of these paraben free products.
There may be a limited time that you can safely use a facial or body cream before it expires.
However, consumers are so used to dealing with expiration issues when it comes to other important elements in our lives (milk, bread, food products, etc.
) that it may not be that big a deal.
Still not sure? If all this inconclusive information still has you on the fence, let me share how one consumer, Jude Isabella, came to her decision to use paraben free products.
Cancer runs in Jude's family and she believes that until there is more conclusive evidence it only makes sense to limit her exposure.
"Why slather yourself with chemicals when we don't yet have the answer? I'm not paranoid, but I'd rather err on the side of caution," she says.
If you are interested in learning more about what is paraben, and where you can find quality paraben free products, you can visit my web site.
I have discovered a New Zealand company that is dedicated to the research, development and testing of skin care products that are effective and safe without the use of preservative parabens.
Ultimately, the decision is yours.