A Complete Guide To Choosing Paraben-Free Skincare Products

When it comes to beating dark circles or breakouts, skincare treatment formulas are more advanced than ever. Similar is the case with hair and scalp care products. However, with these products come more complex ingredients; paraben is one of them.

But, while paraben has taken an influx in the beauty aisle, do you know how they can harm you? Or how you can choose paraben-free products? Well, in this blog, we are going to break it all down! 

Let’s first discuss some of the side-effects that make it necessary to switch to paraben-free products-

Side-Effects Of Using Paraben-Containing Products

Parabens are preservatives that are used in a lot of cosmetic products, including makeup, moisturizers, and shampoos. There are numerous brutal side-effects that stress on the need to purchase paraben-free skincare products. Some of them are as under:

Premature Aging

Many of the skincare products containing parabens claim to be anti-aging beauty products. However, the truth is that parabens cause the skin to age faster. Further, applying paraben-containing products on the skin increases the skin’s sensitivity to the sun. 

Skin Allergies

If you have any allergy, paraben-containing skin products, as well as hair care products, can worsen the situation. They can result in contact dermatitis, which is a type of skin inflammation characterized by blisters, rashes, or burning skin. Paraben-containing shampoos may also cause considerable damage to the hair and scalp.

Interference With The Endocrine System

Every time you use a skin or hair care product containing paraben, it makes its way into the body through the skin. When this synthetic compound comes in contact with the bloodstream, it mimics the hormone estrogen and triggers cell division in the breast. The increased production of estrogen wreck havoc with the hormonal balance and interfere with the reproductive functions. It may also cause breast tumors.

Identifying Paraben-Free Skincare Products

While walking down the skincare aisle, you’ll see tons of face creams, serums, shampoos, and conditioners. However, you need to learn how to spot preservatives or chemicals in a product. You can’t simply rely on ‘paraben-free’ shout out to choose a product, particularly if it isn’t labeled properly. 

Sometimes you can find parabens listed among the ingredients on the packaging and bottle. The most commonly used parabens in skin products are:

• Methylparaben

• Ethylparaben

• Propylparaben

• Butylparaben

• Benzylparaben

• Isobutylparaben

• Isopropylparaben

In case the label contains any of these ingredients combined with hydroxybenzoic acid or ester, it means the there is paraben in the product. 

If you frequently visit beauty salons for skincare, keep a close eye on the products they use. You can easily find a hair salon in Encino that uses the best products for hair spas and facial procedures.

Choosing Paraben-Free Products

Before you dive into your first paraben-free shopping, there is one more thing to remember. Today, the cosmetic industry uses specific methods to remove parabens from creams, lotion, or face masks.

In many of the cases, parabens are replaced with safer preservatives such as sodium benzoate or phenoxyethanol. These compounds are natural, safe, and perform the job of killing bacteria, mold strains, or fungi that parabens do. 

Further, parabens are also replaced with formaldehyde that may worsen the situation. A formaldehyde-heavy product may cause skin problems; thus, it is better to take a step backward. 

Similar is the case with hair care products. Lathering up should be risk-free, that’s why many of the top brands are rolling out a special selection of sulfate and paraben-free shampoos and conditioners. 

Also, when you’re going paraben-free, it is vital to keep an eye on the expiry date. 

Conclusion

The best way to avoid parabens is to choose products that are close to their natural state. Remember, organic skincare products don’t necessarily mean that they are paraben-free. So, it is crucial to scan the ingredient list, as well as the expiry date. Preparing natural skin care products is always the best option to stay chemical-free.