So what’s the big deal?
Basically, parabens have been found to mimic the hormone oestrogen. Increased levels of oestrogen can cause all sorts of health issues and has been directly linked to breast cancer.
In fact, concentrations of parabens were actually discovered in breast cancer tumors in a study done in 2004 by Professor Phillapa Darbre.
In fact, concentrations of parabens were actually discovered in breast cancer tumors in a study done in 2004 by Professor Phillapa Darbre.
Discussions over this issue are becoming intense and lines are being drawn. There are some cosmetic companies that are now selling ‘paraben-free’ products. However, twice as many are still packing their products full of the harmful preservative.
In 2009 the Danish Minister for the Environment announced a recommendation on the use of products used on children under the age of two:
“I cannot see any clear proof that there is no risk from the two parabens (Propylparaben and Butylparaben), which the EU suspects of having endocrine disruptive effects. Therefore I now want to recommend that Danish parents avoid these two parabens"
Following this, the Danish Government has recently announced that they plan to make it official and ban the preservative all together from baby products.
When I decided to go paraben free, I grabbed a garbage bag, flung open the doors of my bathroom cupboard and began scanning product labels for parabens. When I had finished chucking the offending items into the bag I had a very empty cupboard and a very full garbage bag.
Going paraben free is a big commitment and will cut out a huge list of products that you can use. However, is it really worth taking the risk of slathering yourself in a product that contains such a controversial chemical?
Going paraben free is a big commitment and will cut out a huge list of products that you can use. However, is it really worth taking the risk of slathering yourself in a product that contains such a controversial chemical?
xo
Miss Chemical Detective
References and links for further reading:
"No effective direct links between parabens and cancer have been established, however." -Wikipedia
ReplyDeleteA quick Google search on the subject suggests there's a lot of fear mongering and not a lot of research. Probably not worth the risk when there are other products available, but take it all with a grain of salt.
At this stage in the game there has been very little research done into the effects of parabens. However, research that has been conducted is evidence-based and stongly suggests the danger in this chemical.
ReplyDeleteWhilst there may not be a 'direct' link to cancer, it is fact that parabens mimic oestrogen and fact that increased levels of oestrogen contribute to breast cancer.
Also, I am aware of the fear mongering in the online world which is why I only use legitimate sources (and provide these to my readers)and never ever ever ever use Wikipedia as it is the most unreliable source of information on the web.
It's always good to provide sources and something a lot of people glaze over, so a VERY big thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteI must correct you on your assumptions about Wikipedia though. It is a myth that the website is unreliable. The assumption is, that because anyone can edit it there is no way it could be accurate. The truth is in the numbers though:
"All told, Wikipedia had 162 such problems, while Britannica had 123.
That averages out to 2.92 mistakes per article for Britannica and 3.86 for Wikipedia."
http://news.cnet.com/2100-1038_3-5997332.html
You should always double check your info when using Wikipedia, especially on controversial issues like these as those are the articles that tend to be less accurate. But it always bugs me when people say Wiki is unreliable, and to call it “the most unreliable source...on the web” is completely inaccurate.
Touché ArchDragon! I only say it is a hideous resource because it was drummed into me at Uni and anybody can contribute information to it...
ReplyDelete