Are Paraben's Really as Bad as They Say?

Lately, there's been a huge trend toward filling your beauty cabinets with natural products in an effort to "Go Green". One of the top villains pushing this trend forward are parabens. The controversy of the use of these chemicals in cosmetic products has gotten a lot of media hype and publicity. So, in case you are not exactly sure why companies use them in the first place and what the controversy is here is a little background info...

First, what do they do? They act as an antimicrobial agent - which means they prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi in your products. Parabens control a wide range of bacteria/fungi and are relatively inexpensive which makes them a popular choice. 

Second, why the controversy? In short, there have been reports that parabens cause breast cancer by acting like estrogen. 

After researching (a lot) I have found no studies that can provide a direct link between cancer and parabens from cosmetics. Many of the research conducted that showed development of breast cancer from parabens used extremely high levels of parabens in their tests which, realistically, are not used in cosmetic products. Typically in cosmetics the amount of parabens used is less than 1% - this amount is 100,000 times weaker than natural estrogen in the body thus being far too weak to have any effect. In fact, you probably ingest more parabens through foods you eat (ex: blueberries, soy...) than is found in your beauty products. Most of the scientific community has agreed that based on the evidence paraben's show no threat to the consumer and provide a great benefit for protection against harmful bacteria. 

This brings me to the trend of "preservative free" products. While companies market this as good thing it has the potential to be very dangerous. The amount of microorganisms that cosmetic products are introduced to is substantial; think, dipping your fingers into your face cream and introducing all the bacteria on your hands into it, and how about if you store your products in your bathroom, the heat and moisture produced by the shower provides a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Gross! If your cosmetics had no means of controlling the bacteria the products would probably not last long and this is the case for preservative free products. Many times they will last less than a week and must be kept refrigerated to prevent spoilage - just like you would not eat a piece of chicken you left out all night. By not having preservatives you put yourself at a greater risk for coming in contact with harmful bacteria/etc. So I would stay clear of preservative free altogether.

Natural preservatives are a better alternative although none have been found to be as efficient/effective as preservatives such as parabens. Comparatively, their shelf life is much shorter and tend to spoil faster. So, if you are trying to minimize the amount of chemically harsh ingredients that contact your face/body a natural preservative may be your best bet. Keep in mind the product typically will not last as long and will be much more expensive since natural preservatives tend to cost more. 

Here are a few of the brands I like! What brands do you guys like/find most effective?

Product Recommendations: 
A more natural brand: Alba Botanica
Can be found in most drug stores and is relatively cheap!

My personal favorite: Dermalogica
They have products with and without parabens (so you can choose) and, in my opinion, seem to use the best ingredients that aren't harsh on your skin. They are a little bit more pricey but most definitely worth the money! I usually buy mine off of amazon.