Beauty

[Imadickens]

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@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:

@Imadickens 

I have no clue why your dermatologist advised you to avoid them, but parabens really aren't the bad guys some people portray them to be and they don't deserve the bad rap they've received.  Parabens are preservatives in cosmetics, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, etc.  If they're removed, what will replace them to make products last?  

As for natural ingedients, on the surface it sounds like they'd be a safe choice, but that isn't always the case either.   

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Parabens are preservatives necessary to keep certain products fresh. However, they can be absorbed thru the skin and have been found in malignant tumors, usually breast tumors. I imagine my doctor wants me to avoid them for that reason. As for me, I'd rather buy smaller volume or individually packaged products not requiring ingredients to keep them fresh if the downside is added risk for cancer! I have found many companies are removing parabens (as well as other unnatural products which are difficult to pronounce). There are other ingredients I avoid as well ( some would be considered natural). As I get older I realize how important it is to care for my body. So, the fewer the products and ingredients I use, the better! I don't want to be the best looking woman in the ground. 

Added: as for fear mongering, I see it differently. I believe that, as in most things in life, an ounce of protection... So, if there is any chance that certain ingredients can be harmful, I figure it's easy just to avoid them! My mother smoked through her entire pregnancy with me. I weighed 4lb.6oz after 9 mos, 2 days. She also was given thalidomide after a miscarriage. I did not have the worst of the effects, but it would have been much better had she avoided both! We are bombarded by so many things each day, many of which we can't be certain that they are safe a few years down the road. I would never suggest banning these ingredients from skin care, but I believe we should at least be aware of any possible problems so we can each choose for ourselves how much we wish to use.

[suzyQ3]

@Imadickens, you did ask how much we worry about natural ingredients in products, so you should expect a variety of answers.

[TY]

I don't worry about the preservatives. I don't want fragrance in my skin care though.

[FLGators]

The dangers of parabens in skin care products is a myth. Some companies have had to reformulate w/o parabens just because they do not want take a hit in sales.

Reputable Companies which have been around for a long time have stood their ground & continue to use parabens. It is not because they do not want to innovate, rather they do not buy into the myth & follow sound science. They would not put their reputation on the line if parabens were dangerous. They could be held liable. Here is what Paula has to say. Don't know if her products have parabens or not. 

http://cosmeticscop.com/2016/09/08/parabens-really-problem/

[vermint]

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 My mother smoked through her entire pregnancy with me. I weighed 4lb.6oz after 9 mos, 2 days.

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@Imadickens Believe me....I do NOT advocate smoking--pregnant or not--but there's also another side to this statement. My mother smoked quite heavily thru three pregnancies. Both of my brothers weighed nearly 10 lbs, and I weighed in at nearly 9 lbs. (and was born 2 weeks early!)

She also drank more than she should've with the 2nd pregnancy, and some with all of us. This was in the 1950's. We were all very healthy. We used to joke about it and wonder what we would have weighed if she hadn't smoked!

My SIL smoked thru all 3 of her pregnancies in the 1980's...her smallest baby weighed over 7 lbs., and all three were healthy.

Again, not recommending that anyone smoke--I never tried it myself, and hate the smell of smoke---just wanted to present another side to the story.

[tototwo]

What?  Me worry?  I am not a member of the Ingredients Police who roam this forum.  If I like a body product, and it likes me back (I have sensitive skin), I don't worry about ingredients, especially parabens.  Parabens keep our products fresh - I like that!

I don't understand why a derm would urge you to avoid parabens.

[Shelbelle]

I will use a skin care product with parabens, but not with mineral oil or petroleum in it.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

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@vermint wrote:

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 My mother smoked through her entire pregnancy with me. I weighed 4lb.6oz after 9 mos, 2 days.

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@Imadickens Believe me....I do NOT advocate smoking--pregnant or not--but there's also another side to this statement. My mother smoked quite heavily thru three pregnancies. Both of my brothers weighed nearly 10 lbs, and I weighed in at nearly 9 lbs. (and was born 2 weeks early!)

She also drank more than she should've with the 2nd pregnancy, and some with all of us. This was in the 1950's. We were all very healthy. We used to joke about it and wonder what we would have weighed if she hadn't smoked!

My SIL smoked thru all 3 of her pregnancies in the 1980's...her smallest baby weighed over 7 lbs., and all three were healthy.

Again, not recommending that anyone smoke--I never tried it myself, and hate the smell of smoke---just wanted to present another side to the story.

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@vermint - I get what you're saying.  I can add another perspective.  I did everything right - no smoking or drinking, even watched caffeine, and I had one who arrived early and nearly didn't make it.

Unless someone can supply concrete proof that parabens are harmful and cause cancer in humans, it boils down to speculation and fear-mongering.

[Trinity11]

Does Europe allow cosmetics to have parabens in them? What about the study where they were found in the tissue of women with malignant breast tumors??? Was that a fallacy?

[ChynnaBlue]

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@Imadickens wrote:

How much do you worry about natural ingredients in skin care and cosmetics? I used to love Philosophy skin care, but they still use parabens in many products. I spoke to a rep who told me they were phasing bad ingredients out, but Purity and Hope in a Bottle are two that still have them. I asked my derm about it and he urged me to avoid them, so I do. I just don't understand why good companies don't stop using them! Maybe if more people complained...

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I don't worry about many of them, including parabens, because there's no conclusive evidence that they're causing a problem.

If you want to avoid them, more power to you. I don't think companies who reformulate under pressure of fears that are not backed by scientific evidence are really doing anyone any favors. They're just reinforcing the idea that feelings are more important and carry more weight than science and I think that's a problem.

Instead of pushing companies to remove ingredients that may not actually be harmful, perhaps consider pushing scientists to do more research into the ingredients to find out which ones really are harmful. If they aren't harmful, keep looking for the ones that are. If they are harmful, scientific researching proving that would give you more leverage with the cosmetics companies and the people who regulate them.