In most of the cosmetics and personal care products available on the market, paraben, a low-cost preservative, is used to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi and to extend the shelf life of the products.
Paraben is a preservative that is found not only in cosmetics, but also in personal care products (creams and lotions, deodorants, toothpastes, shampoos and sunscreens, etc.), food and medicines. So how safe is the paraben we are exposed to tens of times during the day?
Research has shown that parabens are able to mimic the hormone estrogen, which has an important role in the reproductive function in women due to its chemical structure. It is stated that people who experience excessive exposure to parabens, defined as endocrine disrupting chemicals, have hormone balance disruptions and some undesirable effects in the immune system.
Parabens and Cancer
Paraben — A Protector or Threat?
There is no definitive information about a direct relationship between cancer and paraben. However, in studies conducted on cancer tissues of people randomly selected among patients with breast cancer, a high rate of paraben was found and it was concluded that paraben acts as an estrogen hormone, promoting cancerous cell formation, so there may be a relationship between breast cancer formation and paraben. Although there is no definitive evidence of a direct link between cancer formation and paraben, available evidence suggests a more cautious approach to the use of products containing this type of chemical.
The World Turns Towards Paraben-Free Products,
Although there is not enough data on the long-term effects of chemicals thought to cause disruption in the endocrine system, it is observed that there is a trend towards paraben-free products in countries with advanced health systems. In many European countries, the use of parabens is prohibited, especially in products for children and young people. Many large manufacturers in the world have moved away from using parabens in line with the intense demand from their customers.
What to do?
In addition to the cosmetic products we use for beauty and care, we are in contact with 8 to 10 chemical products for cleaning and hygiene every day. If we want to protect our skin from the harmful effects of parabens, we should pay attention to the ingredients of the products we buy and take care not to consume products that contain methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben or benzylparaben.