Jess Crocker

What Are Parabens?

Parabens are chemical preservatives used in a wide variety of personal care products and foods to prevent the growth of microbes. These TOXIC DISRUPTORS/CANCER CAUSING chemicals can be absorbed through your skin, blood, and digestive system. 

FOUND IN: Shampoos, conditioners, lotions, face and body cleansers and scrubs. 😧 + I recently saw that other "fresh" bath companies are labeling parabens as "SAFE SYNTHETIC" – THIS IS NOT TRUE! 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR ON THE LABEL:  Ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, and any other ingredients ending in –paraben.  

HEALTH CONCERNS: Endocrine disruption, cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and MORE...

  • Endocrine disruption: Parabens are potential endocrine disruptors due to their ability to mimic estrogen.[9] In cell studies, parabens have been found to weakly bind to estrogen receptors.[10]Studies demonstrate that at sufficient concentrations, parabens can increase cell proliferation in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells, which are often used as a sensitive measure of estrogenic activity.[11] In MCF-7 cells, isopropyl- and isobutyl parabens have the most potent of proliferative potency, but they are around 170,000 times lower than estradiol.[12],[13]
  • Skin Cancer: Applying personal care product containing parabens—especially methylparaben—can lead to UV-induced damage of skin cells and disruption of cell proliferation (cell growth rate).[25],[26]  Daily application, in particular, can lead to increased concentrations of methylparaben because it is not completely metabolized.[27] Parabens combined with other estrogenic chemicals may potentially influence the    development of malignant melanoma, one form of skin cancer, through their estrogenic and genotoxic activities.[28]
  • Developmental and Reproductive toxicity: Propyl and butyl parabens appear to reduce sperm production[29],[30] and lead to reduced testosterone levels,[31]while methyl- and ethyl-parabens do not affect sperm production. These effects appear to be dose-dependent.[32] In addition, one study found that maternal exposure to butylparaben during gestation and lactation alters the development of the reproductive organs and sperm production.[33] In general, propyl- and butylparabens, specifically, appear to disrupt the male reproductive system and affect the reproductive organs.[34],[35] This is consistent with their estrogenic activity noted above. -www.safecosmetics.org

VULNERABLE POPULATIONS: Pregnant women and young children.

But guess what—if it isn’t recommended for children and pregnant women, it probably isn't good for anyone!


EVERYONE DESERVES HEALTHY SAFE PRODUCTS.

To avoid products with parabens, look for “paraben-free” labels and read product ingredient lists. Many natural and organic cosmetics manufacturers have found effective alternatives to parabens to prevent microbial growth in personal care products. Many companies including BATH BAR have created preservative-free products that have shorter shelf lives than conventional paraben products (six months to a year), which mean they are truly fresh. If they don’t expire, they’re not fresh.

see WWW.SAFECOSMETICS.ORG for more info.

 

Keep reading labels and always shop paraben free for you and your loved ones.

With a deep breathe, a breeze of grapefruit & vanilla-

Yours in health & wellness,

Jess Crocker xo

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