Parabens

Now the Paralympics are just a memory, I have noticed 'parabens' being mentioned a lot. I needed to find out what they are.

I bought some shampoo recently as I had given it all away when I went bald. The new shampoo proudly claimed 'naturally paraben free' and I thought 'is that good? What's a paraben anyway?'

Parabens can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, cleansing gels, personal lubricants, topical pharmaceuticals and toothpaste, they are also used as food additives. A large percentage of the products we buy for everyday use contain some form of paraben, so it can be difficult to find products that do not use them.

What Are Parabens?
Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives, and that’s why they are found in so many products. They are used to fight bacteria and fungus, are widely available, and cost very little to manufacture and use. Nearly all of the parabens used as preservatives are man-made and not naturally occurring.

Why Are Parabens Bad?
Parabens can mimic the hormone oestrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. Researchers have found parabens in breast tumors and believe there is a relationship between parabens and tumours.

Sali Hughes says: Parabens are in so many things (food included) that it's hard reliably to point the finger at beauty products. And given that some newspapers are just as ready to suggest that being a dog-owning working mother who wears bras and enjoys a biscuit will give me cancer, I'm even more reluctant to forgo my lipstick (frankly, it'll be the last thing to go).

Parabens are still so rife when, in most cases, there are quality alternatives that won't cause people to fret. As ever, things boil down to profit (parabens are cheap), but some companies are beginning to spend a little extra to bin the chemical preservatives (M&S and Superdrug among them). Here are some of my favourite paraben-free brands. All are a joy to use and, most importantly, they work.

Jurlique, from £16
Jurlique may be pricey, but it's excellent on easily irritated skins. As gentle and pure as it gets.

Trilogy, from £5, bathandunwind.com
Bath and shower products that I use religiously. The scents are natural and deceptively expensive-smelling.

Caudalie, from £6
The entire range is extremely gentle and pure, but gives proper results with no hippy waffle.

Palmer's, from £1, boots.com
A great high-street brand that's recently made the switch to paraben-free. The cocoa butter is a classic.

Shiffa, from £25, urbanretreat.co.uk
Super-expensive but I feel every penny. Natural and heavenly fragrance. I love the Tamanu cream.


So that's the story of parabens... ...and they all lived happily everafter.


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