Do you take care
of your hygiene? I hope you are nodding your head as you read this! Well, let
me broaden your horizon and may be make you cringe ever so slightly with some
truth about the chemistry behind all the toiletries you use so stay clean! The
shampoos, moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, pharmaceuticals,
spray tanning solution, makeup, toothpaste, they all contain certain amount of
parabens in them. Wait, what is that word? Parabens are preservatives
used in cosmetic products and fragrances [2]. They are used in
combination with other preservatives [2]. Their existence doesn’t
just end in the toiletries; they are used in food additives as well.
Furthermore, they are found in fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, carrots,
olives and strawberries [1]. We are exposed to them literally
everywhere!! They are found in the air; as dust, in wastewater effluent urban streams, in soil, in the rivers and
drinking water [1]
Why is it such a big deal if we are surrounded by
them? - Well that is because parabens can cause allergic reactions and can pose
serious health threats such as cancer [1].
Parabens detected in breast tissue from patients with breast cancer [3]. It is important to know what this compound is
and how individuals are exposed to it. Parabens can enter the human body
through the skin. The average daily total personal parabens exposure is
estimated to be 76 mg, with cosmetics and personal care products accounting for
50 mg, 25 mg from pharmaceutical products, and 1 mg from food [1].
When looking at the statistics, the data shows that they are indeed found in
various concentrations depending on the products (cosmetics to personal care
products to pharmaceutical products).
Although it does
a great job of being a preservative, it is essential to know some of the side
effects that come with it. It is almost impossible to get rid of them since they
are found everywhere. There has been a lot of problems with the alternatives
proposed and replacements for parabens have another set of affects due to lack
of research. Regardless, it is important to know where we all stand in terms of
being surrounded by parabens in our day to day life and now that you are aware
of its usage and potential side effects, you can make the decision for
yourself, whether you want it to still be a part of your lifestyle or are you
going to take steps to eliminate or perhaps limit the amount of parabens.
That moment when you thought you were so cleansed
after a nice hot bath with all your favourite toilettes and then you realize
you are technically covered with all this chemical that could potentially kill
you! Wait, What? – I never said that!
References:
[1] Kirchhof, M.
(2015). Skin Therapy Letter. The Health Controversies of Parabens.
Retrieved on March 30th, 2016 from http://www.skintherapyletter.com/2013/18.2/2.html
[2] Parabens.
(2006). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved March 30th,
2016 from http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productsingredients/ucm128042.htm
[3] Parabens.
(n.d). [Image]. Retrieved March 30th, 2016 from http://img.allw.mn/content/www/2010/10/9-harmful-ingredients-in-cosmetic-and-personal-care-products/parabens_9-harmful-ingredients-in-cosmetic-and-personal-care-products.jpg
[4] Retrieved from
http://www.mommyconnections.ca/calgary/files/2014/12/PARABEN-1.jpg?file=2014/12/PARABEN-1.jpg
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