Ep. 075 Risks + benefits of parabens: are they actually bad?

This seems to be a little controversial, so let's talk about this. Are parabens actually bad?

I'm not going to give you a yes or no answer, instead I’ll lay out the benefits and the risks and let you make that decision for yourself. You're in control. 

Let’s start with the benefits and why parabens are used in products.

• Parabens are added as a preservative in products, creating a longer shelf life. They’re antibacterial so products with parabens last a very long time. 

• This creates a major financial gain for the business and in some cases makes the product less expensive for the consumer too. 

• And for the most part, most people don't have allergic reactions to parabens. But, in rare cases, it can happen.

These are the benefits, so now let's talk about the risks involved.

• Parabens may cause premature aging. Yes even when they are used in an anti-aging skincare product, ironic. Applying a skincare product with methylparabens may cause your skin cells to die faster when exposed to the sun or ultraviolet rays. 

• Parabens may increase the hormone, estrogen. Research shows that frequent use of products with parabens may increase risk of breast cancer. On top of that, research also shows that parabens may reduce sperm count and effective female reproductivity as well. 

• Parabens are not safe to use while pregnant. Parabens can enter the bloodstream and then be absorbed by the growing baby in the womb. Long term, this can affect the babies immune system and may cause learning difficulties as the baby grows into a child.

Weighing the pros and cons of parabens, I already made the choice long ago to reduce the use of them. I have a method, that I don’t buy products with parabens in them for myself, but if I’m at someone elses house and their soap has parabens in it - I’ll still wash my hands with my soap. Living a holistic lifestyle is a balance of learning as we go and doing our best when it’s our control. I hope you find this helpful - let me know what you think in the comments!

XO,

Liv