Parabens

BLACKLISTED

What is it?

Parabens are a class of widely used preservatives in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.

Main Benefits:

Broad spectrum preservative.

More Information:

All commercially used parabens are synthetically produced. Multiple studies have linked chlorinated parabens to endocrine disrupting functions, specifically mimicking the effects of estrogen. The European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) reiterated in 2013 that methylparaben and ethylparaben are safe at the maximum authorized concentrations (up to 0.4% for one ester or 0.8% when used in combination). The SCCS concluded that the use of butylparaben and propylparaben as preservatives in finished cosmetic products is safe to the consumer, as long as the sum of their individual concentrations does not exceed 0.19%. Isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, phenylparaben, benzylparaben and pentylparaben were banned by European Commission Regulation (EU) in 2014. We do not use any paraben-containing preservatives in our formulas.

Scientific reference:

Vo T. T. B., Jeung E. B. (2009) An Evaluation of Estrogenic Activity of Parabens Using Uterine Calbindin-D9k Gene in an Immature Rat Model. Toxicological Sciences. 112, 68–77.

Terasaki M., Makino M., Tatarazako N. (2009) Acute toxicity of parabens and their chlorinated by-products with Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri bioassays. J. Appl. Toxicol. 29, 242–247.