In a time when being healthy seems to be a real challenge and EVERYTHING seems to have something in it that's bad for you, are parabens in your food, drinks, supplements, make-up, skin or hair care really something to worry about?
Yes. Parabens really are THAT bad for you and here is why:
Parabens are synthetic chemicals that have been are used as preservatives in personal care products, beverages, foods and pharmaceuticals since the 1950's. Parabens increase a product’s shelf life by preventing harmful bacteria, fungus, and yeast from growing. They keep your products fresh. Sounds great right? except for they also toxic to your body, especially when used over time on a daily basis.
And because parabens are in most regular skin and hair care and in a lot of prepackaged foods and drinks as well, chances are you have been consuming them for a long time already without even knowing it. And it might be impacting your health.
Here are 3 proven facts about the health impact of parabens:
1) Endocrine disruption and reproductive harm
Parabens can act like the hormone estrogen in the body and disrupt the normal function and production of hormone systems. Scientific studies have reported that they affect male, as well as female reproductive system functioning, reproductive development, fertility and birth outcomes.
2) Increased risk of breast cancer
Because parabens mimic estrogen , high estrogen levels can cause the growth of cancer cells. Breast cancer is also associated with the continual use of paraben-containing personal care products applied near the breast area.
3) Sensitivities, Allergies, Skin Rashes, Hair Loss
Parabens can reduce the number of healthy bacteria on the skin, weakening the skin’s immune system. This is how over time, allergies and sensitivities can develop, causing red, itchy, and dry skin. Shampoos with parabens can cause scalp rashes which will dry out the hair and may even cause hair loss.
How to recognize parabens in your closet:
Ready to get rid of parabens in your life? Check all your personal care products, make up and medications! Parabens are commonly listed under methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, isopropyl-, butyl-, or isobutyl parabens.
And... while you are checking your own products, don't forget to check your baby's and children's products as well! It seems logical that those products would not contain anything harmful, right? wrong! hard to believe, but sadly parabens are common in baby products as well.
In food, parabens are identified as “E” numbers instead. Examples include: methylparaben (E218), ethylparaben (E214) , heptylparaben (E209). Usually all prepackaged foods include them, since they have to stay fresh a long time.
Avoiding Parabens
The good news is: there are many alternatives to avoid parabens all together. Starting with avoiding prepackaged foods and switching to fresh, organic food.
When it comes to your personal care products: these are just as important to switch, because 60% of what you put on your skin ends up in the bloodstream. And it is known that parabens stay in your body for a long time, so even if the quantity in your beauty product is very low, it can still be harmful to your body.
Tip: keep it simple and go 100% organic
Many brands, like Sephora for example, are now switching to making cleaner products, which is great, BUT: It's quite tiring to discover that even "clean,natural" brands still sometimes contain harmful chemicals (let alone keeping track of all the toxins to avoid). If you are serious about using cosmetics and personal care products without the worry and health effects: my advice would be to simplify your life and stop using products with a complicated ingredient list. Discover & stick to 100% organic products with a simple ingredient list that you actually understand. There are many great organic brands out there and of course you can find many of them in my online store: www.saarsoleares.com
Wishing you all a happy & healthy day!
♡
Saar