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Friday, 5 December 2014

Buying Paraben Free Beauty Products

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By Claudine Hodges


Searching for ethical and healthy cosmetic products has never been easier. Manufacturing companies are starting to respond to consumer demand and are producing more and more paraben free beauty products. Initially smaller, artisan companies were the only ones making them and it was often difficult to buy them but that is no longer the case.

Parabens have been used as a preservative for almost a century now. It is essential to have preservatives in products or they may become harmful due to fungus or molds. Large producers need to have products which have a shelf life of several years and so artificial preservatives were the answer. However, some research has pointed out that they may have some potentially dangerous side effects and so consumers are demanding alternatives.

Concerns have arisen most around breast cancer as traces of these chemicals have been found in tumors. Research has yet to confirm whether they play a role in the development of cancer and what that role might be. Parabens have been classified as safe by many Governments around the world but there are a growing number of consumers who want to see more research and are avoiding them until it is done.

It is also thought that they may effect hormone production. The endocrine system may be affected by these chemicals. This is potentially very serious as all kinds of bodily functions are governed by the endocrine system. It is responsible for hormone production and includes the adrenal gland, pituitary, thyroid and pancreas.

These concerns about estrogen production do not just affect women, although it is another link to the breast cancer. Estrogen it is generally perceived as a female hormone but we all have produce estrogen. It has been suggested that the rise in fertility problems could be linked to endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Many consumers have decided not to wait for the research and are demanding paraben free products. This has caused manufacturers to start to produce these products with other preservatives. Many are also artificial and are either unproven or are known to have side effects. It seems they may just have swapped one harmful chemical for another.

Probably the safest way to know for sure that the products you buy are natural is to go for fresh ones with a short shelf life. They are increasingly available from small and large producers and although it is not as convenient at least you can be sure what you are putting on and therefore into your body. When we put a cream on our skin for example it only takes a few moments to be absorbed into the blood stream.

Paraben free products are increasingly popular and this is leading big companies to get in on the sales bonanza and produce cosmetics without them. However, in some cases they are just using other unhealthy chemicals in their place. Fresh products with a short shelf life are probably the safest and the easiest way to be sure that a product is totally free from harmful chemicals.




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