What is a paraben?


What is a paraben?

July 28, 2014

We’ve all heard: you are what you eat. Have you ever heard: you are what you wear? We know our health is effected by the food we put in our body, but are the products we put on our skin effecting our health just as much?

The skin is the largest organ of the body. Parabens are used as a preservation agent in many items that we put on our body– cosmetics, deodorants, hair products, and self-tanners. The prevalence of parabens in our daily lives is why they’ve been getting so much attention. The molecular make-up of parabens is similar to that of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen has been linked to early puberty in young girls, breast cancer, and has been proven to be carcinogenic in large quantities.

In 2012, the Huffington Post reported that 99% of all breast cancer patients had parabens in their tumors. The FDA has not banned the use of parabens, though their molecular similarity to estrogen and their prevalence within tumors has caused many consumers to ask: are parabens hurting me?
At Amy G Salon, we are committed to the health of our clients. This means that we have a commitment to using paraben-free products.

If you have more questions or would like to know more about parabens, here are some great references on the subject:
Wikipedia
Los Angeles Times
Beautiful Skin Care Blog
Huffington Post Article