Parabens are preservatives that are found in numerous household products, especially beauty products, including shampoo, sunscreen, lotion and makeup. Manufacturers use parabens for their preservative and antimicrobial benefits. When you use beauty products that contain parabens, they absorb into your body through your skin. The parabens wash down the drain when you bathe and end up in the water supply, eventually finding their way into your drinking water and into fish and other aquatic life.
Endocrine Disruption
According to an article in "Critical Reviews in Toxicology," parabens disrupt the human endocrine system. Parabens affect the endocrine system by interrupting the body's natural process of hormone production. When you are exposed to parabens, the chemicals can cause your body to send fake signals to your endocrine glands, confusing the glands and disrupting their normal process of creating and releasing hormones. Your endocrine glands are responsible for sending signals to every system in your body, making disruption of the endocrine system a serious health problem that can lead to metabolic and neurological disorders.
Premature Aging
Despite being used in many beauty products that are supposed to reduce the appearance of aging, methylparabens, one type of paraben, have been found to make your skin look older when used topically. Researchers at the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in Japan found that methylparabens make your skin more sensitive to sun damage. In the Japanese study, skin cells that were treated with methylparabens and exposed to ultraviolet rays died at a much higher rate than skin cells that did not contain parabens. Skin that was treated with parabens was also found to have higher levels of lipid peroxide, a substance that speeds the skin's appearance of aging.
Mimics Estrogen
Parabens have been found to mimic estrogen, according to researchers at the Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health's Department of Toxicology. A study by the department found reduced sperm levels in male rats exposed to parabens. The rats also experienced a reduction in testosterone levels. In women, disrupted levels of estrogen can lead to problems with menstruation, fertility and pregnancy. The Natural Progesterone Advisory Network website states that the synthetic estrogens in parabens can lead to menstrual cramps and endometriosis pain in women.
Linked to Breast Cancer
A BBC News story from 2004 states that researchers at the University of Reading found traces of parabens in tumors removed from breast cancer patients. According to Dr. Philippa Darbre, one of the conductors of the study, since parabens mimic estrogen and estrogen can speed the growth of tumors, parabens could have an effect on the development of breast cancer.
References
- Terressentials: Can the Methyl Paraben in Your Shampoo Make You Fat?
- Cosmetics Design-Europe: Aging Claims Put Parabens Back Under the Spotlight
- Science Direct: Effects propyl paraben on the male reproductive system
- Natural Progesterone Advisory Network: Menstrual Cramping and Progesterone Supplementation
- BBC: Concern over Deodorant Chemicals
