Paraben ingredients in cosmetics

Today, you can find Parabens in cosmetics. So what are parabens in cosmetics? Is it safe to put Parabens in cosmetics to use?

Parabens are a group of chemicals that are present in many cosmetics. Cosmetics containing parabens include makeup, moisturizers, hair care products, shaving products, deodorants, shower gels, and body lotions.
You can find paraben ingredients in cosmetics under common names like butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben.

Manufacturers put parabens in cosmetics to preserve products. Parabens have the effect of preventing harmful bacteria and mold growth, protecting consumers against bacterial agents.
Usually, you can see more than one type of paraben in cosmetics, they are combined to increase the ability to protect different types of microorganisms and better preserve the product.

The safety of parabens in cosmetics is still being reviewed and researched by scientists from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
So far, there is no accurate information about whether parabens are dangerous to use. In addition, European Union (EU) legislation also allows the use of parabens in cosmetics and certain products.

The maximum allowable total concentration of paraben ingredients in cosmetics is 8g/kg of cosmetics, no single paraben has a concentration higher than 4g/kg. According to scientific evaluation, this concentration is safe for parabens with smaller molecules such as methylparaben and ethylparaben.
For longer molecules of parabens such as propylparaben and butylparaben, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety recommends reducing the total concentration limit to a maximum of 1.9g/kg of parabens. For other less commonly used parabens such as isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben and phenylparaben, safety information is limited and not available, so the potential risk is not measurable.

Certain types of parabens such as propylparaben, isopropylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparaben are prohibited in personal care products intended for children under 3 years of age to prevent hormonal effects.
For babies under 6 months old, paraben ingredients in cosmetics of concern are in the diaper area, which can irritate babies' sensitive skin. In addition, children are not able to remove parabens from the body because their immune systems are not yet mature.
However, to reduce uncertainty and more accurately assess the potential risks that parabens pose to children in a variety of cosmetics and care products, more research is needed.
Parabens in cosmetics are very common with the effect of preserving the product and protecting the consumer against bacteria and mold growth in the product. There have been many concerns about the safety of cosmetics containing parabens, but there are currently no definitive studies on this issue.
Therefore, to ensure safety, you should choose reputable cosmetic brands and carefully read the ingredient list before use, especially for people with sensitive skin.

Reference source: fda.gov - ec.europa.eu