What Are Parabens? Should You Use Paraben-Free Skincare Products?

The products you choose to use on your body matter. Taking time to make sure you’re using the best, safest skincare products possible is the smart choice for every man.

It would be nice to trust that every skincare and grooming product you see on store shelves has been carefully reviewed to ensure the highest level of safety. And it would be nice to feel that the regulatory bodies in charge of reviewing those products had only your best interests in mind. But frequently, news reports make you realize that you have to do your own research to protect your skin and health.

Parabens are an example of common ingredients in many skincare and grooming products that have recently come under public scrutiny. What are parabens? Why are they found in so many products? If they are potentially harmful, how can you be sure you’re choosing paraben-free skincare products?

What Are Parabens?

Parabens are preservatives used in many food, cosmetic, and personal care products. They are included to keep products fresh, safe, and potent. Preservatives prevent fungal, bacterial, and viral growth. So it’s especially important to have safe, effective preservatives in skincare and grooming products with a high water content.

Their ubiquity is hard to ignore. Researchers have found that “parabens are used as preservatives in many thousands of cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical products to which the human population is exposed.”

What Are the Concerns About Parabens?

The chemical structure of parabens allows them to mimic estrogen. An accumulation of parabens could lead to hormonal problems and endocrine disruption. Their presence can also increase the rate of growth breast cancer cells.

Up to this point, studies have shown that parabens on their own do not cause breast cancer. But researchers are continuing to investigate the effects of using skincare products with parabens. In 2017, it was noted that studies that focus solely on the effects of parabens “fail to take into account that parabens could interact with other types of signaling molecules in the cells to increase breast cancer risk.”

Since as early as 2004, “studies demonstrate that parabens can be found intact in the human breast.” But additionally, research now “demonstrates that parabens may be more potent at lower doses than previous studies have suggested, which may spur scientists and regulators to rethink the potential impacts of parabens on the development of breast cancer, particularly on HER2 and estrogen receptor positive breast cells."

Should You Use Products Containing Parabens?

Despite the concerns raised by extensive research, the FDA and similar international regulatory bodies have not yet classified parabens as dangerous. Some, however, acknowledge that further research is needed into the long term effects of parabens on human health.

But you don’t have to wait around to find out whether parabens are safe or not. Instead, you can make the smart choice and use paraben-free skincare products for men. Brickell Men’s Products does not use parabens in any formulas.

If you’re not sure if your current products contain parabens, check the label. Look for any ingredients that end in “-paraben”. The most commonly used examples are:

• ethylparaben
• butylparaben
• methylparaben
• proplyparaben
• isobutylparaben
• isopylparaben

Be Confident in the Safety of Your Products

You deserve youthful, healthy skin. Don’t settle for products that contain ingredients you don’t understand or that could potentially harm your health.

Worried about the damaging effects of parabens? Switch to paraben-free skincare products for men. That way you can get great results without the fear of any potential ill effects.