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Dangers of Paraben

Parabens are chemical preservatives. They are widely used by the cosmetics industry to protect their products against contamination by micro-organisms. There have been recent concerns that some parabens may have a carcinogenic effect prompting the United States Food and Drug Administration and other research organizations to investigate the additive's safety.

  1. Function

    • Cosmetics companies as well as those involved in the production of food and pharmaceuticals may use approved preservatives at prescribed levels in their products. These preservatives, including parabens, protect products from the growth of harmful micro-organisms. Parabens also help to preserve the chemical integrity of cosmetic products.

    Identification

    • Consumers can determine whether the products they wish to purchase contain parabens by reading the list of active ingredients, which are required by law to be declared on the product's label. Ingredients that contain parabens typically include the word in their name, i.e. propylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben or benzylparaben.

    Considerations

    • Parabens have been shown to have certain estrogen-like properties and have been found in cancerous breast tumors. However, it has not been determined that parabens were responsible for the development or growth of the cancerous tumors, nor has it been determined whether parabens had any harmful effect on normal healthy tissue.

    Effects

    • The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in response to concerns regarding public health issues regarding the pervasive use of parabens as preservatives, participated in a reassessment of the preservative's appropriateness for use in consumer products. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), of which the FDA is a non-voting member, concluded that because of the extremely low levels of parabens involved in consumer products, it was "implausible that parabens could increase the risk associated with exposure to estrogenic chemicals."

    Conclusions

    • As of October 31, 2007 the FDA does not believe parabens present a health concern for consumers. If new evidence is presented that contradicts current evidence, the FDA will at that time determine whether a public health hazard exists.

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