Parabens: what are they and how they can be harmful

Originally written for Mobile Health Cottage. Click here for original link.

Paraben & Sulfate free beauty, hair and body products have started to fill up the shelves of Target, Walmart and different drug stores. We’re going to go into a little more detail about what parabens are, how they negatively affect health and why seeing ‘paraben free’ labels on a product might not be an indication that the product is safe, non toxic or natural.

Yes, that’s right. The good news is that society is beginning to care more about their long term health and invest more into purchasing ‘clean’ beauty products. The bad news is that companies are taking advantage of this in the name of making a profit.

Environmental Working Group

We found a wonderful article by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a company that strives “to shine a spotlight on outdated legislation, harmful agricultural practices and industry loopholes that pose a risk to our health and the health of our environment.” Founded in 1993, “EWG’s team of scientists, policy experts, lawyers and communications and data experts work tirelessly to reform our nation’s broken chemical safety and agricultural laws. We push industries to adopt our standards and stand against chemicals of concern. We educate consumers with actionable information and inspire demand for safer products.” They state that their mission is, “To empower you with breakthrough research to make informed choices and live a healthy life in a healthy environment.” We have used many direct quotes from this article by Tasha Stoiber describing parabens and noting the negative effecst to health because of the credibility offered by EWG.

Stoiber discusses what parabens are and how they negatively affect the body. They were first used in the 1920s to preserve cosmetics that were made predominantly with organic material that would biodegrade. A concern listed by EWG is that parabens can disrupt hormones in the body and harm fertility and reproductive organs, affect birth outcomes, and increase the risk of cancer. Here’s a list of products that contain parabens.

• moisturizers
• face/skin cleaners
• sunscreen
• deodorants
• shaving gels
• toothpaste
• makeup

While you are not consuming parabens internally, they are actually getting absorbed topically through the skin. When people use products containing parabens everyday, like makeup for example, they are putting themselves at much greater health risk due to exposure to parabens and other harmful non-natural preservatives. A study done by Berger, 2018 found that teen women who wore makeup had 20 times the levels of propylparaben, an antimicrobial used in skincare products, in their urine compared to those who never or rarely wear makeup.

Different Types of Parabens

1. methylparaben
2. ethylparaben
3. propylparaben
4. isopropylparaben
5. butylparaben
6. isobutylparaben

While they are all harmful, the longer-chain parabens (propyl- butyl-) have been shown in research to cause more of an increase and dysregulation is natural estrogen levels in women.

Adverse Health Effects

According to research, parabens can cause:

• endocrine disruptors
• reproductive harm
• hormonal cancers
• skin irritation

According to this article by Stoiber on EWG, “The U.N. Environment Programme has identified parabens as a group, including propyl- and butylparaben, as endocrine-disrupting chemicals or potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals (U.N. Environment 2017). The Danish Center on Endocrine Disruptors has also identified butyl- and isobutylparaben as endocrine disruptors (Danish Center on Endocrine Disrupters 2018).”

Parabens can act as phytoestrogens, where they mimic a person’s natural estrogen levels, negatively affecting male and female reproductive system functioning, reproductive development, fertility and birth outcomes. Scientists worry about the link between exposure to environmental phytoestrogens and cancer, specifically breast cancer. Parabens can also irritate the skin and cause a variety of allergic reactions.

Environmental Concerns

“Parabens are also linked to ecological harm, as low levels of butylparaben can kill coral, according to laboratory tests (Danovaro 2008). Parabens have been detected in surface waters, fish and sediments (Haman 2015). When parabens are combined with chlorinated tap water, a number of chlorinated paraben byproducts can form (Canosa 2006). Little is known about the toxicity of these byproducts, which may be more persistent (Haman 2015).”

What can we do?

Major retailers in the U.S. have planned or already have in place active bans or restrictions (EDF 2019). Whole Foods Market banned all four parabens as part of its premium body care standard, meaning none of the products they carry have parabens in them. CVS has committed to removing them in CVS store brand products. Rite Aid lists butyl- and propylparaben on its restricted substances list to phase out of some products by 2020. Walgreens committed to removing isopropyl- and isobutylparaben by 2021.

Government bans

Since 2015, the EU has banned isopropyl- and isobutylparaben in all personal care products, because of the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety declaration that “adequate evidence has not been provided for the safe use of propyl- or butylparaben in cosmetics” (SCCS 2013). These parabens are also banned in personal care products in 10 Southeast Asian countries, as determined by the intergovernmental Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The use of propyl- and butylparaben is restricted in the EU, ASEAN and Japan.”

Our Opinion

We believe that it’s essential for a vital life to avoid parabens. Some companies are taking advantage of paraben-free phrasing to disguise products as being ‘all natural’ when they are truly not. Companies like Herbal Essences (which is hardly herbal at all), Olay and Neutrogena have come out with hair and beauty products that are labeled Paraben Free that are branded to look like they are made from exclusively plant-based and naturally derived ingredients.

The issue is that when the average consumer reads paraben and sulfate free on their shampoo bottle, they’re going to think that they are doing something good for themselves by buying that product. They’re thinking that they’ve taken a step in a healthier direction. While this is partially true, the deceiving point is that just because something is labeled paraben free does not mean it’s safe. Many of these products are still filled with other fillers, coloring, preservatives, fragrances and other ingredients proven by research to be both endocrine disrupting and potentially carcinogenic. It’s suggested by various research that Parabens are non-natural, can cause serious health issues, and that it’s best to seek a more natural alternative to the chemical-based products in your routine.

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