Avoid Pesky Parabens

Why I Avoid Parabens, and I Recommend You Avoid Parabens, Too

Have you ever read the ingredients listed on personal care items or beauty products? Paraben, retinyl palmitate, diethyl phthalate, PEG/ceteareth/polyethylene, dmdm hydantoin, etc. It’s like trying to figure out the mystery ingredient list on processed food packaging. 

Are these impossible to pronounce substances safe for us?

Several years ago, after the diagnosis of breast cancer in a close family member, I started researching the known contributing causes of this disease. Data from a study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology stood out to me regarding Parabens. The study found parabens concentrated in the cancerous breast tissue of 99% of the women in the study (1.) While no direct causal relationship has been proven between parabens and breast cancer, why risk exposing ourselves to this synthetically reproduced preservative that is associated with adverse health events?

Parabens are inexpensive preservatives added to products including shampoos, deodorants, shaving gels, cosmetics, toothpaste and even some foods and drugs in order to extend their shelf lives.

We slather this junk on our bodies? It’s bad enough for us adults, but then to think we expose our children to this unnecessary chemical sludge. I simply don’t trust this on my skin and I certainly want to keep it off my kids. Read labels and avoid products with parabens, such as methylparaben, ethylparaben, and butylparaben. They tend to be found towards the end of an ingredient list. Thankfully, there are increasingly available safe alternatives, as our collective awareness grows.

Around here, we stick to a “None of the Junk” philosophy when it comes to our personal care products. We feel totally safe using ALL of dōTERRA’s personal care products because they have committed to NEVER use the following: Artificial colors, Diethanolamine (DEA), Formaldehyde, Parabens, Phthalates, Propylene glycol, Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), Toluene, Triethanolamine (TEA), or Animal Testing.

The fact is that using dōTERRA’s products simplifies my life because I am confident they are effective and safe for my family.

Another place you can check on the safety of personal care products is the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. This invaluable resource can be found here: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

While we are exposed to many environmental toxins and pollutants that are outside of our control, it’s empowering to choose paraben-free products that go onto and into our skin. We might as well purchase nourishing and safe personal care products say Buh-Bye to those Pesky Parabens once and for all.

1) Wiley-Blackwell. (2012, January 11). Parabens in breast tissue not limited to women who have used underarm products. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 25, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111223348.htm