Ben who? First of all, I would like to apologize to those who are called Ben, I certainly don’t have anything against you. 😉
So who is this ben that I speak of anyway?
I’m talking about Parabens.
No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation
The most widely used chemicals as preservatives in cosmetics, foods and drugs that pose harmful effects to our health. These are sometimes found in your makeup, shampoo, moisturizers, shaving products and hair care products. In fact, the list could go on but then you’d be here on my blog all day, not that I don’t like that.
Parabens, are manmade preservatives that are very cheap to make and easily available. For these reasons, they’re used in so many products to fight bacteria, mould, or fungus from developing, hence increasing the product’s shelf life and stability, even though there are alternative preservatives out there.
The six widely marketed parabens are, methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, butylparaben, andbenzylparaben.
A big disappointment from Aveeno Baby’s Soothing Relief Moisture Cream – no longer a favourite.
But the question is, is it worth taking the risk of subjecting yourself to possible health issues when it can be prevented in the first place?
People still argue that the evidence is so scant when it comes to its possible link to cancerous disease, but do you really want to take your chances? I hope not. But there you go.
What am I fretting about?
Many studies show that parabens are linked to organ system toxicity, reproductive and fertility problems, birth and developmental defects, and endocrine (hormone) disruption.
And to those who are fully aware of this preservatives, it might not be a surprise to you that parabens are also linked to cancerous cells, as it mimic estrogen — contributing factor in breast cancer. Some say that the proof provided for this statement is insufficient but then again, one could say that your body and health should not be put in ‘ I shall take my chances’ situation since at the end of the day, these things cannot be undone once you’re in a much dire circumstances.
Plus if there’s actually a natural occurring preservative/s (Vitamin E is a perfect example, it’s a natural preservative and also has many health benefits), then why still opt for the man made ones deemed to be harmful? Oh yes, I forgot, it’s cheaper and easier to make.
I used to not fret about these things, which at some point would make me a big hypocrite, but having my son was the big wake up call or an eye opener for me. There are just things in life that you can’t ignore just because you think that you need to see to believe it, or that you’ve not been given enough proof to bin you’re favourite moisturiser, lipstick, toothpaste, shampoo etc…
If different type of research has been going on for years about these chemicals, with results not favourable, doesn’t it mean that indeed,they are harmful to us in the long run?
Lush’s Feeling Younger Skin Tint – and here’s their bit on Parabens and their views… here.
Parabens might be fighting the growth of bacteria and fungus to keep the freshness of our products intact, but what about us? And to think that there are so many paraben-free products now out there that we can all enjoy worry-free, yet we continue to buy the products that we shouldn’t.
But what’s written below is something we really need to ponder on…
In the end, it is the consumer who must decide.
Learn to read the labels and understand what’s going into your body.
Or allow the large cosmetic companies to earn more profits at your health’s expense.
-Natalchemy.com
The big question now is over to you, are you ready to say no to all ‘bens’ in your products? And bin them once and for all? Where do you stand?
Please note, that my well-loved brands/shops do manufacture paraben-free products, the likes of Dr Organic, Leor, Suti and wishtrend*.
*wishtrend, being a worldwide distributor of different Korean brands, do carry a variety of products/brands that do not contain paraben, although not all.
Unconvinced? Well, everyone’s talking about this so check these posts:
- What are Parabens and Why you should avoid it? (thegoodhuman.com)
- What are Parabens? (www.natalchemy.com)
- Harmful Effects of Parabens (reflectionswithrhonda.com)
- New Research: Common Cosmetic Ingredient, Paraben Esters, Present in 99% of Breast Cancer Tissues (atlantablackstar.com)
- Do You Worry About Chemicals in Your Makeup? (bellasugar.com)