The one you have probably heard about the most, parabens are cheap to mass market and are used as a preservative to keep your shelfie products like lipstick, deodorant, shampoo, sunscreen and moisturiser stable and free from mould, fungi and bacteria.You may recognise their names as butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben or propylparaben …. nice and easy to spot with paraben in the name…. but they are also listed as alkyl parahydroxy benzoates.
Parabens, once they have penetrated the human skin, can remain within tissue. Some parabens are believed to be hormone disrupting chemicals that can mimic the activity of oestrogen in the body’s cells. The oestrogen hormone is linked to the development and growth of some cancers, including breast cancer. Parabens have also been found in sea animals and damaged coral reefs after being washed off into the ocean when we swim or via the sewage system.
