Parabens what I found out !

[Fred]

I noticed today my Cadum Shower Gel had the words "Sans Paraben" I knew the word Sans in French meant without but I have never noticed the word Paraben.

So I have just been doing a bit of research about Paraben. I was surprised when I put it in Google, I was expecting it to be a French word but it's not. Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. They are also used in cosmetics, skin care products, medications, foods, and industrially in oils, fats, shoe polishes, textiles and glues.

Other names for Parabens are: Methylparaben (E218), Ethylparaben (E214), Propylparaben (E216), Butylparaben, Benzyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate), Methyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzate), Ethyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate), Propyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate), Butyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate), Parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate).

Where you can find them: Cosmetics: Foundations, powders, concealers, Eye makeup (liners, shadows, mascara), Facial makeup (blushes), Bronzes, Makeup removers, Lipstick, Quick-dry nail products. Pharmaceutical/self-hygiene products: Topical dermatological medications, Eye, ear and nose drops, Rectal and vaginal medications, Bandages, Local anaesthetics, Moisturizing lotions and creams, Dentifrices, Sunscreens, Cleansers and other skin care products, Antiperspirants and deodorants, Soaps and toothpastes. Food products: Marinated fish products, Salad dressings, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Spiced sauces, Processed vegetables, Blueberries, Frozen dairy products, Jams and jellies, Soft drinks and fruit juices, Baked goods and candies.

OK so what? well I went a bit deeper in my research and this is what I found:

#1 Parabens have been shown to cause allergic reactions and are one of the leading causes of contact dermatitis and rosacea.

#2 In addition they have been found in extremely low concentrations in breast cancer tumors (an average of 20 nanograms/g of tissue).

#3 Studies indicate that methylparaben applied on the skin may react with UVB leading to increased skin aging and DNA damage.

#4 They mimic estrogen in the body which disrupts the delicate hormonal balance that our bodies, and there is some concern that parabens affect the development of the fetus.

All this led me back to why they put Sans Without Paraben on my Shower Gel. well in France methylparaben are banned or restricted for use. So I have now checked out some other products and out goes the Golgate, Witch Hazel Gel, and even the Dexeryl that my Dermatologist gives me.

Call me paranoid if you like but if I can find alternative products without, then I will.

[JustSuzy]

I noticed today my Cadum Shower Gel had the words "Sans Paraben" I knew the word Sans in French meant without but I have never noticed the word Paraben.

So I have just been doing a bit of research about Paraben. I was surprised when I put it in Google, I was expecting it to be a French word but it's not. Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. They are also used in cosmetics, skin care products, medications, foods, and industrially in oils, fats, shoe polishes, textiles and glues.

Other names for Parabens are: Methylparaben (E218), Ethylparaben (E214), Propylparaben (E216), Butylparaben, Benzyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate), Methyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzate), Ethyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate), Propyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate), Butyl-parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate), Parahydroxybenzoate (p-hydroxybenzoate).

Where you can find them: Cosmetics: Foundations, powders, concealers, Eye makeup (liners, shadows, mascara), Facial makeup (blushes), Bronzes, Makeup removers, Lipstick, Quick-dry nail products. Pharmaceutical/self-hygiene products: Topical dermatological medications, Eye, ear and nose drops, Rectal and vaginal medications, Bandages, Local anaesthetics, Moisturizing lotions and creams, Dentifrices, Sunscreens, Cleansers and other skin care products, Antiperspirants and deodorants, Soaps and toothpastes. Food products: Marinated fish products, Salad dressings, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Spiced sauces, Processed vegetables, Blueberries, Frozen dairy products, Jams and jellies, Soft drinks and fruit juices, Baked goods and candies.

OK so what? well I went a bit deeper in my research and this is what I found:

#1 Parabens have been shown to cause allergic reactions and are one of the leading causes of contact dermatitis and rosacea.

#2 In addition they have been found in extremely low concentrations in breast cancer tumors (an average of 20 nanograms/g of tissue).

#3 Studies indicate that methylparaben applied on the skin may react with UVB leading to increased skin aging and DNA damage.

#4 They mimic estrogen in the body which disrupts the delicate hormonal balance that our bodies, and there is some concern that parabens affect the development of the fetus.

All this led me back to why they put Sans Without Paraben on my Shower Gel. well in France methylparaben are banned or restricted for use. So I have now checked out some other products and out goes the Golgate, Witch Hazel Gel, and even the Dexeryl that my Dermatologist gives me.

Call me paranoid if you like but if I can find alternative products without, then I will.

Good info Fred! Thank's for sharing!
Suzy

[Hanna]

Thanks for this Fred, I would never of seen it, I'm shocked at what gets put into food!!.....how is it in blueberries???

I think reading this has also made me think more about what moisture cream to look for if I for another round of UVB!

Fred you are great for getting all this stuff on the forum, keep up the hard work

[Fred]

Thanks for this Fred, I would never of seen it, I'm shocked at what gets put into food!!.....how is it in blueberries???

I think reading this has also made me think more about what moisture cream to look for if I for another round of UVB!

Fred you are great for getting all this stuff on the forum, keep up the hard work

You're welcome, I'm glad someone finds it useful.

How does it get in Blueberries? Well there are these tiny little men with mining helmets and drills that go and place 0.003% of methylparaben in each berry.

Sorry I got a bit carried away there. The truth is some plants have it naturally-occurring in their genetic make-up, Blueberries have on average 0.003% of methylparaben in them and it acts as a defence against micro-organisms. Other plants known to contain naturally-occurring parabens include Carrots, Olives, and Strawberries. Honeysuckle also has methylparaben and has the highest content, but don't worry about the natural-occurring ones in your foods as they are in very low amounts. It's how it's used in your products that you should be looking at.

In some cosmetic preparations parabens can be around 0.3% of the formula, but you may not know about it if the label says it contains Honeysuckle for example.

[Trampledrosie]

Well, this is very interesting. I try to avoid parabens in my hair stuff, I am obsessed with my long curly locks. Never considered what I am using on my body in terms of parabens. Polymers sound scary too. I like to avoid sulfate, silicone and alcohol in my hair products so off I go to read all my labels!