About Parabens
March 29, 2022
What are Parabens?
Parabens are a group of chemical preservatives that are used to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and mold. Parabens have been known to occur naturally in some fruits and synthetic versions have been used in products for nearly 100 years. The parabens used most commonly in cosmetics are methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben, and are considered safe, as repeatedly confirmed by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). They are also some of the most efficient preservatives (European Commission, 2014). They are permitted for use by all major health authorities, and have been extensively studied.
Why are Parabens used?
We use Methylparaben, an ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid as a preservative. It is added in order to prevent the proliferation of bacteria both in our product as well as protect our consumers from potential infections. It works by destroying the cell membrane of bacteria, thereby rendering the bacterium innate as well as unable to reproduce.
Individual countries and their governing health organization regulate the maximum concentration allowed in products of methylparaben. The European Union has one of the strictest policies of such on paraben use (even more than the US FDA, Canada, Australia, and Japan) and their regulations state that 0.4% of a formula can be composed of methylparaben. We use a concentration of 0.15% Sodium Methylparaben in out Multi-Targeted Elixir, which is well below the accepted concentration of the strictest regulations.
Are Parabens safe?
Parabens have been widely used in food, medicine, and cosmetic products since its start in the 1930s, and have been subjects of over 500 independent studies on its safety. Safety panels the world over, have stated that parabens are safe, and are in fact, the least sensitizing preservatives available in the market today. This is also in comparison to formulations that use other types of preservatives in significantly higher concentrations and combinations/cocktails in order to claim being “Paraben Free.”
According to the United States, in 2006, the industry-led Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), in a partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), determined that there was no need to change CIR’s original conclusion from 1984 that parabens are safe for use in cosmetics. The FDA also allows single or multiple parabens to be added to food or food packaging as antimicrobials to prevent food spoilage. (cdc.gov)
