Parabens?

What are Parabens? 

Parabens are a class of substances widely used as preservatives in cosmetics, foods, pharmaceuticals and other household products. They keep products free from bacteria, moulds and fungi that would otherwise spoil the product and could cause real harm to the user.
Parabens are derived from para-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) that occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers, cherries, carrots, blueberries and onions. PHBA also is naturally formed in the human body by the breakdown of some amino acids. Parabens used in cosmetics are synthetically produced, but are identical to those found in nature and the human body quickly changes them into natural PHBA and eliminates them. 

Parabens in cosmetics

Sadly there is a lot of misinformation about parabens, including allegations that they are linked to cancer. In fact, they are not a cause of cancer of any kind. Parabens are non-toxic to human cells. This is because our own skin cells rapidly and easily break parabens down into harmless smaller pieces. This means they are not able to cause harm and do not lead to skin sensitisation. It also means they won’t persist in the environment or harm wildlife in any way.  
This makes the work of a cosmetic formulator complicated, since the consumer no longer wants to see parabens present in formulations, and therefore efficient preservatives are progressively being withdrawn from products and replaced by others.  This means going back to the drawing board, and in most cases, reformulating…
To be clear, the conclusion of the European Commission Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety is that the use of 4 parabens in cosmetics is allowed, up to certain specified concentrations.  These are the “smaller” parabens: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propyl and butylparaben.  You will still see these names on product labels, so don’t worry, there is no risk if you use these products.  For other parabens that are less frequently used, the available data is very limited and does not allow to draw clear conclusions.  The other parabens are therefore no longer allowed in cosmetics, as a precautionary measure.  

Are there any Parabens present in Pure Elements Products? 

There are no parabens present in any of the Pure Elements Products, simply because we made the decision from the beginning to work with other equally efficient preservatives, but less controversial.  
Furthermore, for the Pure Elements Organics products, this family of preservatives is not allowed under the Cosmos charter, since they are synthetically derived from petrochemical origin.   



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