Most skincare products have an ingredient called a Paraben. 99% of all cosmetic products contain Parabens including everyday skincare: your soaps, shampoos, creams and lotions. We feel Parabens are not safe for you or your family.
WHAT ARE PARABENS?
Most personal care products contain water, which is an inviting medium for micro-organisms. Parabens are a group of broad-spectrum preservatives used to prevent the growth of yeast, mould and other micro-organisms in cosmetics and skincare. Parabens are derived from benzoic acid, a chemical found in plants, so to some extent parabens are “natural”. The names of commonly used Parabens in skincare include Butyl Paraben, Ethyl Paraben, Methyl Paraben, and Propyl Paraben.
PARABENS AND CANCER
Should you be concerned about parabens in skincare products, even those labelled natural? Recent studies have shown that parabens do penetrate the skin and can reach the deeper skin tissue. Even more alarming - research has revealed that parabens were found to be present in breast tumours.1,2,3
In a recent U.K. study1, 20 breast tumors were analyzed and high concentrations of parabens were found in 18 of the 20 cancerous tumors, this raises great concern about the safety of including parabens in any skincare product. According to the lead researcher, Philippa Darbre an oncology expert at the University of Reading in Edinburgh, the parabens found in 18 of the 20 tumors tested indicated that they originated from something applied to the skin, the most likely candidates being deodorants, antiperspirants, body sprays, or skincare creams.
SHOULD YOU USE A STRETCH MARK PRODUCT WHICH CONTAINS PARABENS?
We do not recommend this. The recent research which found traces of parabens in tissue samples taken from female breast tumors1, we feel is alarming. Studies also raise concerns for the safety of your baby if you apply a product to your skin with paraben ingredients. Research shows parabens may cause birth defects, especially in male infants. As parabens are very close in nature to estrogen, they can affect the development of the male reproductive system.4,5
In New Zealand the government has not regulated against parabens in skincare, so skincare companies are able to sell natural microdermabrasion products with "naturally derived" parabens. Paraben ingredients include Ethyl, Butyl, Propyl and Methyl Parabens chemically-derived or derived naturally from tree-bark/leaves. A paraben is a paraben regardless, consider tobacco, arsenic, and opium, all are natural, all are toxic! We feel the use of parabens in stretch mark treatments is of particular concern for your health and for the safety of your little one. Remember parabens have been found in breast tissue tumours1, if you breast-feed or you are pregnant choose Mystic Mountain Professional skincare. You can feel secure knowing our entire Mystic Mountain Professional skincare line is paraben-free, pure and natural.
THE SAFE CHOICE PARABEN-FREE MYSTIC MOUNTAIN PROFESSIONAL SKINCARE
Since most people use shampoo and soap every day, exposure to parabens is significant; so why add to this exposure by choosing a skincare product which has parabens? Your health is important to us, we choose not to use parabens in any Mystic Mountain Professional skincare product, including our Pure Microdermabrasion treatment for treating the face and body (including stretch marks). We feel you do not have to compromise your health!
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR SKINCARE PRODUCTS CONTAIN PARABENS?
Read the product labels, read websites for ingredient lists, and if the ingredients aren’t mentioned just ask the seller. All cosmetics are required to carry full ingredient lists. If your skin care products don't have ingredients listed, or you can't find the preservative in the list, be suspicious.
To check for the presence of parabens in products you currently use, or those you are considering purchasing, we recommend you read the ingredients list carefully. Remember this also applies to the ingredients list of natural skincare products, a paraben is a paraben regardless of whether it is derived naturally from a tree or plant source, or is chemically derived.
What are the research studies?
Parabens levels in breast tumors:
1. Darbre, P. D., Aljarrah, A., Miller, W. R., Coldham, N. G., Sauer, M. J., and Pope, G. S. (2004). Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumors. Journal of Applied Toxicology 24, 5-13.
2. Harvey, P. W. (2003). Parabens, oestrogenicity, underarm cosmetics and breast cancer: a perspective on a hypothesis (editorial). Journal of Applied Toxicology 23, 285-288.
3. Harvey, P. W., and Everett, D. J. (2004). Significance of the detection of esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens) in human breast tumours (editorial). Journal of Applied Toxicology 24, 1-4.
Parabens’ adverse effects on male reproduction:
4. Kang, K.-S., Che, J.-H., Ryu, D.-Y., Kim, T.-W., Li, G.-X., and Lee, Y.-S. (2002). Decreased sperm number and motile activity on the F1 offspring maternally exposed to butyl p-hydroxybenzoic acid (butyl paraben). Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 64, 227-235.
5. Oishi, S. (2002b). Effects of propyl paraben on the male reproductive system. Food and Chemical Toxicology 40, 1807-1813.
