Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives by cosmetic and pharmaceuticalindustries.
Parabens are effective preservatives in many
types of formulas.
These compounds, and their salts, are used
primarily for their
bactericidal and fungicidal properties. They can be found in
shampoos,
commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals,
spray tanning solution,
makeup,[1] and toothpaste. They are also used as food additives.
Their efficacy as preservatives, in combination with their low cost,
the long history of their use, and
the inefficacy of some natural
alternatives like grapefruit seed
extract (GSE),[2] probably
explains
why parabens are so commonplace. They are
becoming increasingly
controversial, however, because
they have been found in extremely
low concentrations in breast cancer tumors
(an average
of 20 nanograms/g of tissue).[3]Parabens have also
displayed the ability to slightly mimic estrogen (a hormone known
to play a role in the development
of breast cancer).[3]
No effective direct links between
parabens and cancer have been
established, however.[4] Another
concern is that the estrogen-mimic
aspect of parabens may be a factor in the
increasing prevalence
of early puberty in girls.[5]
