2 minute read
Not Guilty! The verdict is in on Parabens
After years of being wrongfully accused of being unsafe, parabens have been cleared for use by the Cosmetic IngredientReview (CIR) Expert Panel. The panel is made up of world-renowned dermatologists, toxicologists, chemists, consumer protection advocates and public health experts.
In its latest review in September 2018, relating to the issue of whether parabens are safe for human use issued, the panel, concluded there were 20 parabens including those most commonly used incosmetics – methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and ethylparaben – which are safe for use under present practices of use and recommended concentrations.
This conclusion is welcome news and will hopefully put an end to the speculation and debate regarding paraben safety.
Parabens are among the most effective and safe preservatives for use in cosmetic and skin care formulations. They have more than 100 years’ history of safe usage and have the lowest incident rate of skin problems in dermatological patients.
A questionable study
Alternatives to parabens are expensive and can cause skin reactions. Skin care brands have been pressured into using alternatives in order to allay the fears of their customers.
Parabens have a chemical structure that is similar to estrogen and can mimic the effects of the hormone in the body. But they appear do this weakly and as a result, researchers never considered them a significant risk.
Concerns surrounding parabens first surfaced in 2004 when a report was published referring to the concentration of parabens in human breast tumours. The report suggested parabens in under arm deodorants and antiperspirants could be absorbed into the skin and migrate to breast tissue.
The study was widely criticised by the scientific community due to the methodology used and how the conclusions were reached. The problem with the study was no comparative analysis was carried out on healthy tissue. If there had been traces of paraben in healthy tissue, which has subsequently been proven, it would have ruled out the link to breast cancer.
In addition, parabens were detected in the blank control samples used for the study. This was explained as being due to contamination from the glassware. But, if this was the case, why wasn’t the same conclusion reached for the detection of parabens in the breast tissue?¹
Proven safe to use
Regardless of the questions raised about the study’s integrity, it has dominated the debate on preservative choice and industry usage for over a decade.
The latest review will hopefully restore some confidence in the use of parabens, though there remains some concern about the build-up of parabens in tissue over time and the associated safety.
In its findings, the CIR expert panel discussed concerns about the bioaccumulation potential of parabens noting, as lipid-soluble chemicals, parabens may theoretically distribute to tissues despite metabolism. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of parabens in human tissue, but there is no data showing parabens are metabolised to 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, which is considered safe under typical use conditions.
The key take out of this latest research is evidence shows parabens are safe for use at prescribed and current usage levels.The reality is, damage has been done and it will take some time to change industry and consumers’ perceptions.
REFERENCES1. www.cosmeticscef.com
Botanichem – www.botanichem.co.za
