While both the FDA and CDC have not determined that there are any side effects of parabens in cosmetics, there are a number of consumer advocacy groups that advise against their use. Parabens were first commercialized as a preservative in the 1950’s. Preservatives are good because they prevent cosmetics from growing mold or bacteria while they sit on our shelves. This is a good thing, but let’s take a closer look into the use of parabens and how they can affect our bodies.

One concern with the use of parabens (according to healthline) is that parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen and could cause hormone imbalances. We know that hormones control a lot of how our body works, so messing with the balance of those hormones in our bodies could have long-term effects.

Further strengthening the argument against their use in cosmetics, the European Union restricted the amount of parabens that were permitted to be in cosmetics in 2014 and has taken other steps in examining their effects. This included adding them to a list of endocrine disruptors in 2018. As we know from Dr. Kovak’s webinar, the endocrine system is responsible for affecting your body and its organs through hormones. Optimizing hormones is something that we believe can improve your quality of life, and parabens have the capacity to mess with this optimization.

Our skin absorbs the chemicals that are placed upon it, whether this be desired (in the case of topical prescriptions) or not. The science is still developing on whether or not parabens will have long-term harmful effects. All of the products we offer on our store are paraben-free – just look for the icon under the product name. When you’re buying other products, you should look for this also.