Parabens in Cosmetic Products - The Science

There are several types of parabens. Tasha Stoiber, Phd., reports that parabens consist of

a group of chemicals which are preservatives, and increase the shelf life of products by inhibiting growth of mold and bacteria. The long-chain parabens are of key concern.

According to Dr. Stoiber, long term exposure can cause skin irritation endocrine distuption

and cancer. Here are the four listed "long-chain" parabens:

PROPYLPARABEN

ISOPROPYLPARABEN

BUTYL PARABEN

ISOBUTYLPARABEN

You may be seeing a move toward eliminating or minimizing the use of parabens in a number

of salon products. Your manufacturer representative should be able to provide you with this

type of information.

Of course, none of us can afford to purchase products which "spoil" on our shelves. And, at

the same time, science continues to look for newer are more "user-friendly" types of preservatives. At times, my clients ask me about ingredients.. and I'm sure a few of yours

may as well. So,