Parabens in Cosmetics

Parabens are used as preservatives in many thousands of cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. In cosmetics parabens are permitted in concentrations of up to 1%.

Recent studies have indicated evidence of the endocrine (hormonal system), reproductive and developmental effects on parabens.

Parabens absorbed through the skin and can be stored in the body. Once parabens are in the body it affects the hormonal system by mimicking oestrogen, the hormone that promotes cell growth. The promotion of cell growth link parabens with cancer whereby parabens have actually been detected in human breast cancer tumors(Darbre 2004) Oestrogen stimulates breast breast tissue: it can encourage the development of fibrocystic breasts, and supplementing with oestrogen is known to increase woman's risk of breast cancer.

It also stimulates the lining of the womb, the endometrium, increasing risk of endometrial cancer and encouraging the growth of fibroids.

Women produce oestrogen naturally and the body maintains a healthy balance between oestrogen and progesterone. An excess of oestrogen causes hormonal imbalance which can lead to many health issues as stated above. This article is to promote awareness of oestrogenic effects of parabens. Below is a list of parabens you may want to look out for when reading labels.

1. Methylparaben

2. Ethylparaben
3. Propylparaben
4. Butylparaben
5. Benzyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid

5. Methyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid

6. Propyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid

7. Ethyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid

8. Butyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid

9. Parathydroxybenzoic acid

10. Parahydroxybenzoate.

You don't have to memerise the list. Just remember the key word " paraben" and " benzoic". Unfortunately most cosmetic brands like Mac, Body Shop, Estee Lauder do contain these compound in most of their products. Brands that do not contain parabens are Origins, Juice Beauty, Burt's Bees, L'Occitaine (some not all- please ask the sales assistant). I am sure there are others out there and when i find them i will update this article.

From my reading both U.S. Food and Drug Administration and National Cancer Institute states usage levels of paraben are no reason for consumers to be concern and that more research need to be conducted to understand the relationship between these chemicals and cell activity. However both institutions do not state that parabens are safe to use.

Here is a link to Household Products Database by US Department of Health and Services which contains information about the ingredients used in major brands.

Link to Health Risk of Hidden Heavy Metals in Face MakeUp.

Is Organic Better?

I think perhaps this should have been my first article. Is it worth going organic?  As a cancer survivor with no family history, I believe that my environment and lifestyle was a contributing factor. Enough said.

Now organic food cost more than conventional and is hard to find. Plus a lot of organic produce sold in Kuala Lumpur do not have the organic certification seal on them so I am guessing they aren't really "organic". Hence if you want your money's worth, ensure that your vegetable contains the certification stamp or check the website for certification like the ones below.

The list below was obtained from http://www.betterdietislam.com/. Good website that list organic shops, restaurants, suppliers, farms, organisation and brands by geographical region. What more do you want! Don’t be fool by the name as its not a religious website.

• Improved Quality of Food
• No Poisons, which today causes around 250,000 deaths annually according to WHO
• No Hormones
• No Antibiotics
• Not genetically modified, (non-GMO )
• No Additives. Many additives—such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colourings and flavourings, MSG , hydrogenated fat, and phosphoric acid—are prohibited in organic food production .
• No Chemical treatment of the food
• No irradiation
• Free from human and industrial waste
• Better taste (I can vouch for this!)
• Processed Food items in an Organic Shop are often clearly labelled like e.g. if there is No Wheat and No Gluten.
• Processed Food items in an Organic Shop are normally less processed with lower heat and gentler other methods.
• Higher levels of minerals (63 - 178% in one estimation).Based on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics, standard not organic broccoli contained 130 milligrams (mg) of calcium in 1950. Today the results indicate only 48 mg of calcium for non organic broccoli.
• Higher levels of enzymes
• Organic raw milk lasts longer than pasteurized milk. When attempts are made to infect organic raw milk with salmonella or other viruses and bacteria they just simply disappear, taken care of by the natural in built resistance in raw organic milk. Pasteurized industrial milk a few days old doesn't stand a chance and becomes infected quickly. (Source: Jerry Brunetti, video "Food as a Medicine " from around 2005)
• Detoxification. When the body does not get any more poisons any longer through food etc. the body starts detoxification. However if you are really ill the detoxification can be too difficult for your liver and kidneys. See Gerson.org
• Protects Biodiversity
• Saving energy
• Reduced need for water in organic agriculture, only 20% compared to agriculture using pesticides.
• Sustainable farming .A handful of organic soil can contain 10s of billions of microorganisms. We must keep these microorganisms alive with organic non toxic treatment so that the soil can produce healthy plants with large enough roots to bind the earth and retain the water.
• Better treatment of animals. They are e.g. not tortured like chicken on regular basis in too small cages.
• Less if any cases of Bird Flu. Contagious mutations of Bird Flu develops almost only in non organic chicken and duck factories where birds are fed with antibiotics, hormones and live under other very bad conditions.
• Better Health if you eat raw and fresh organic vegetables first and foremost thus lower hospital bills.
• Better intelligence(alertness), mood and eyesight
• Better energy, more stamina
• Farm workers not exposed to pesticides, fungicides, herbicides. 
• The profit per acre for big GMO monocultured fertilized pesticidal farms is around 20 USD, while the profit per acre for an organic farm is around 19,000 USD. (Source: "Fed Up " a video 60 minutes)
• Plants get more and stronger roots
• Soil nutrients increases. One square foot of organic agricultural soil has 5 to 30 earthworms.  Earthworms can turn over the top 6 inches of soil in 10 to 20 years. (There are no earthworms in soil that has synthetic fertilizers, pesticides etc.)

In summary, organic is a healthier choice both personally and for the environment. Even is its not certified, it contains lesser chemicals and toxins. But if you cannot afford these foods or they are not easily available in your community, you should still eat as much fruits and vegetables as possible. Remember, no matter how you eat these foods, conventional or organic, you will get benefit from them.