What are parabens and should you be avoiding them?

Whether you follow the biggest beauty bloggers or simply dabble in drugstore trends, you’ve no doubt encountered the ‘clean’ beauty cult. Fuelled by the increasing wellness trend and the odd on-point rant from Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, concerns over the ingredients of beauty products are sweeping the western world. And at the top of the hit list, it’s parabens.

A buzzword of late, parabens are chemical preservatives that prevent bacteria growth and increase product shelf life. However, the long-term effects of using such chemicals has raised concerns.

“There are research papers that show there may be a link between breast cancer and the use of parabens,” explains Dr Javed Hussain, Clinical Director and Dermatology Specialist at Manchester’s skin treatment clinic Neo-Derm. “But then there are some that disagree. There’s conflicting pieces of information on whether paraben use leads to the body producing Oestrogen more than it should, which can lead to breast cancer, but there has not been a conclusive study.”

Indeed, it is these concerns that drove Breast Cancer UK’s ‘Dump the Junk’ campaign in 2014, an initiative that hoped to raise awareness of the potentially dangerous side effects of parabens. Whilst parabens are officially approved for use under the Cosmetics Directive (76/768/EEC), the European legislation that regulates all cosmetics and toiletries, and over 75% of skincare products available to buy contain the preserving agent, there are still some that express concerns over their use.* Denmark has already banned two parabens in cosmetics for children under three years of age on the grounds of reproductive toxicity.**

...parabens can cause allergic reactions, irritation, dermatitis and rosacea

“It is important to clarify that not all parabens are legal,” continues Dr Javed. “Parabens are an umbrella term for different preservative chemicals. Some have been banned because there have been correlations between their use with skin irritation, cancer and skin damage.”  

“Generally speaking, when applied to normal skin, parabens are non-irritating and non-sensitising. However, for sensitive skin – or for people who have underlying and undiscovered skin conditions – parabens can cause allergic reactions, irritation, dermatitis and rosacea. Although there are only a small percentage of people who have paraben allergies in the UK.” 

Whilst the sceptics amongst us may wish to dismiss the dangers of parabens as an industry-churned fad, Dr Javed warns that consumers should pay attention to the ingredient.

“Sometimes it’s not about the initial paraben application, it’s a cumulative effect. You may not react to the paraben in the first week or month, but six months down the line your skin may start to react.”

"...more expensive creams are likely to be paraben-free, because parabens are cheap"

So, should we be avoiding parabens?

“There are many different viewpoints when it comes to parabens,” explains Dr Javed,“but I personally would suggest avoiding them, if you have the choice and finances. When it comes to cosmetics, you get what you pay for. So more expensive creams are likely to be paraben-free, because parabens are cheap and are more likely to be found in cheaper products. Whereas more expensive paraben-free products are likely to have organic preservatives instead. However, paying a slight premium for paraben-free products is a lifestyle choice.”

Going paraben-free is a choice that consumers themselves must make. But if you do want to detox and switch to more natural cosmetics, we’ve rounded up our favourite paraben-free products available on the high street.