What is Paraben and What are the Harmful Effects of It?

Today, you really have to be aware of the ingredients in skin care products that you are choosing. Creams, gels, serums, and other skin care products may contain harmful ingredients like parabens.

So what is paraben? Well, paraben is a common preservative used in different cosmetic products like moisturizers, shampoos and even toothpastes. It has a long shelf life and is relatively cheap. This is the reason why manufacturers are still using this ingredient.

It is easy to tell if the product has paraben in it and you can easily recognize them when you see the ingredients list. The most common parabens are propylparaben, methylparaben, ethylparaben, and butylparaben. These are commonly found in moisturizers, toners, and creams.

A lot of people are not informed on what is paraben. This is the main reason why most of them buy skin care products without knowing the ingredients and the causes they may bring.

A few years ago, paraben was found to be effective and safe to use. However, a recent study shows that this chemical can cause the formation of lumps and breast tumors that can eventually lead to breast cancer. It was also found that parabens can cause harmful reactions with hormones like estrogens which can badly affect the body.

Though a lot of countries are contesting the use of parabens because the effects are not proven yet, it is still safe to drop the risk and just pick an alternative. It is not enough to know what is paraben and the harmful effect it can bring. The best thing to do is to avoid this product and switch to something safer and better ingredients.

Talking about safer and more effective products, natural skin care products can solve your skin problems without causing harmful damages. Of course, it can cause some mild irritations for some people just like other ingredients do. But this happens rarely and only to those who are hypersensitive. But you shouldn’t worry because the effects are temporary and are tolerable. They are not permanently damaging like cancer is.

Natural vitamin E is a great alternative when you are looking for a preservative. It is also an antioxidant which fights free radicals that cause cancer. So instead of being a possible initiator of cancer, natural vitamin E actually protects against it. Wouldn’t you agree with me that is the safer ingredient to pick?

Other safe natural ingredients to look for are Cynergy TK™, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, active manuka honey, coenzyme Q10 and Phytessence wakame. These ingredients are helpful in protecting the skin and bringing it back to its original glow.

Now that you are armed with the knowledge to answer what is paraben , you should know enough to choose products without any parabens. To find the products I use check out my web site listed below in the bio section.


Elizabeth Ruby is passionate about good health and using healthy products on her skin. She does extensive research on the best products to use and what products to avoid. Visit her website at http://www.your-best-skin-care-site.com/ to find out what products she recommends.