Parabens are bad! Right? Wait… what are parabens?

Parabens have gotten a lot of bad press lately, but what exactly are they and how can you avoid them? Parabens are chemical preservatives used in many cosmetic products, soaps, deodorants, etc. They’re linked to reproductive system harm, breast cancer, and harmful effects on birth outcomes. They’re bad. You should avoid them.

Here’s what parabens look like on the ingredient list so you can avoid them:

• Methylparaben
• ethylparaben
• propylparaben
• isopropylparaben
• butylparaben
• Isobutylparaben

Parabens act like estrogen in the body, and disrupt normal hormonal function. According to a recent study by the University of California - Berkeley, parabens can literally turn on cancer genes, especially breast cancer.

The lesson to take here is that we’re lucky that parabens are getting so much press, because these chemicals are bad. Many of these chemicals were previously believed to be safe. It’s important to keep in mind that you should always do your own homework and be responsible for your own health. As human beings, we tend to be very RE-active. That means that we do the damage to ourselves before we initiate corrective action. Let’s be better, and be better to your body!