Preservatives

PARABENS ARE THEY SAFE?
It all depends on the amount used!
Where they stand on the safety
level scale!

Parabens are a Broad-spectrum preservatives derived from plant or petroleum
sources. Effective against bacteria, fungus, yeast, and mold. Parabens are some of
the safest preservatives, effective over a wide pH scale. So just because you see
the word Paraben you should not panic as many of them are derived from a natural
source such as plants like cranberries, grapefruit, blueberies and so on and/or used
at a verly low percentage with a very low ph scale....

There is no scientific evidence that any cosmetics containing low content of
parabens pose a health risk, because of the low doses involved and the fact that
parabens are unlikely to penetrate into the tissue, remain intact, and to accumulate
there. If you are concerned I would concentrate more on what you are breathing in
from the environment (gazes, pollution, pesticides and so on.....) and what your are
ingesting/putting *(look at list below) into your body daily which many contain higher
levels of paraben and other chemicals then your cosmetics. Most cosmetics from
reputable professional skin care lines companies only contain very little paraben
from 0.01-0.3% levels, which is an extremely minute amount of paraben use to
preserve a product and in no way should scare you from using your favorite
products simply because parabens are listed among the ingredients but do be
cautious when selecting over the counter products as there are many commercially
made cosmetics that have such a high percentage of higher then 5%, which explains
the commonly belief that the parabens are harmful or are sensitizers to the skin in
this case and cause an irritating reaction to the skin which can be seen as skin rash,
hives, red spots and so on..... why again here I recommend the use of reputable
products sold by reputable manufacturers.....

Contrary to the hype at the moment, The mainstream cosmetic industry believes that
parabens, like most cosmetic ingredients, are safe when used in low dose based on
their long term use and long safety record and recent scientific studies. It is
estimated that more than 90% of all cosmetic products contain some form of
paraben. Be aware that preservatives are used and necessary in every cosmetics
to keep it safe for you to use, as they are essential to controlling microbial and
bacterial growth during the shelf life and use of the product, it's the amount of
preservatives included in the product that can be a concern.

Please be aware that Everything Natural isn’t Safe, and Vice Versa, Natural
Preservatives are not always non-toxic; Some natural ingredients have proven to be
just as harmful effects.

After many many hours of researching and information received from professionals
in the field including chemist, I do feel confident and reassured in their safety in
cosmetics products, as long as they are used at a level of .01 to .03 and until it has
been proven scientifically I have learned to look deeper into an issue than to be
frightened by scare tactics as I know tomorrow there will be something else causing
hype and concerns.

Even the American Cancer Society states that there is no good scientific evidence
to support the claim on parabens. A study in 2004 showed that paraben levels up to
25% in cosmetic products were safe; most reputable manufacturers of cosmetics
products only contain paraben levels of 0.01-0.3% according to the FDA. In
conclusion Studies show that on the acute, subchronic, and chronic effects in
rodents indicate that low levels of parabens are non-toxic.

What are Parabens: They are esters of para-hydroxybenzoic acid, from which the
name is derived. Common parabens include methylparaben (usually from plant
source such as blueberries) , ethylparaben , propylparaben and butylparaben. Less
common parabens include isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, benzylparaben and
their sodium salts. They are widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and
pharmaceutical industries. Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of
formulas. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their
bacteriocidal and fungicidal properties.

*They can be found in almost everything we use daily, such as shampoos,
commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels, perfumes, personal
lubricants, topical pharmaceuticals preperations, medications, oils, fats, shoe
polishes, textiles, glues, toothpaste, bandages, eye, ear an nose drops, local
anesthetic, sunscreens, soaps, salad dressing, marinanted fish, mayonnaise,
mustard, spiced sauces, processed vegetables, frozen dairy products, jams and
jellies, fruit juices, soft drinks, baked goods and candies, food additives and a
variety of foods.... and so many other products.... Parabens are the most commonly
used preservatives in topical pharmaceutical preparations.

Their efficacy as preservatives, in combination with their low cost, their long history
of safe use and the unproven efficacy of natural ingredients like grapefruit seed
extract, probably explains why parabens are so commonplace.

Because of their low toxicity at low levels, parabens have been used in food for
more than 50 years.

The Expert Panel of the CIR has concluded that "methylparaben, ethylparaben,
propylparaben and butylparaben are safe as cosmetic ingredients in the present
practices of use".

Some parabens are found naturally in plant sources such as methylparaben from the
fruit of the blueberry shrub, where it acts as an antimicrobial agent.

Research indicates that low levels of Parabens are rapidly absorbed,
metabolized, and excreted.