Guest Post by Contributing Author: Jasmine Bass
So, What Are Parabens?
Parabens Have Cause for Concern
- Hormones
- Endocrine System
- Immune System
- Fetal Developmental Disorders
- Reproductive Disorders
- Premature Aging
- Estrogen Dominance (in both males and females)
- Breast Cancer
- And more…
Ironically, while several of the commercial products that contain parabens are beauty products that are supposed to enhance the skin, such as lotions and moisturizers, research has found they accelerate the skin aging process. As reported by live-naturally.co.uk, researchers from the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in Japan found that the methyl type of parabens increases sensitivity to and damage from the sun; that is, when exposed to ultraviolet rays, skin cells die at a much faster rate than normal. Therefore, one should read the ingredients to check for methylparabens before buying beauty products for the skin. – LiveStrong.com
One recent Danish study… raised concerns. It showed that parabens could be detected in the blood and urine of healthy young male volunteers a few hours after paraben-containing lotions were applied to their skin. The authors concluded that since the chemicals could be absorbed, metabolized and excreted, they “could potentially contribute to adverse health effects.” – Best Health Magazine
A BBC News story from 2004 states that researchers at the University of Reading found traces of parabens in tumors removed from breast cancer patients. According to Dr. Philippa Darbre, one of the conductors of the study, since parabens mimic estrogen and estrogen can speed the growth of tumors, parabens could have an effect on the development of breast cancer. – LiveStrong.com
So Parabens Should Be Avoided, Now What?
Lindsey Elise says
Wow! Great article! I have been cautious about parabens for awhile, and this has cemented my desire to purge my skin care routine. Also, I was wondering how you make your makeup? I have been wanting to for some time, but have never found a good recipe.
HappyMrsBass says
Lindsey… Thanks! As far as making your own make-up, there are tons of recipes out there (and ingredients). Mine is made with kaolin clay as the base and tinted iron oxide pigments for color. All of my ingredients came from http://www.pvsoap.com. I don’t add mica to mine and it works just fine, it covers lightly (sheer) but creates a smooth air-brushed look. I tend to stay as simple as possible meaning the least amount of ingredients the better.
I am not much of a recipe girl, but here is a “base” recipe to get you in the right direction.
Remember, I don’t use all the ingredients listed in the recipe (mostly kaolin clay and zinc is okay too). Hopefully that helps!
-Jasmine
Lindsey Elise says
Thank you, that is super helpful! I do have one more question though. My skin is really light and all of the tinted iron oxide pigments looked like they would make it too dark, should I just use the kaolin clay, or is there something else I could add to help?
HappyMrsBass says
Try to figure out what your undertone color is (yellow, pink, neutral) and get the iron oxide pigment that would be the closest. You will just use very little… My mom is fair and I am darker (bi-racial) but our undertones are the same. She uses less pigments and I need more. If you only use Kaolin clay, I don’t think you’d be happy with the results. Less is best to start… like a sprinkle of pigment to a 1/3 of clay. 🙂
Lindsey Elise says
Oh, I never knew that! Thank you, and I am excited to see how this will work!
Joyce says
Great article, I have just started making some of my own beauty products, lotion body bars, and I’m loving it. I viewed a video which talked about the hidden dangers in beauty products, which is what jump started me. The biggest issue is that the beauty industry is not regulated nor do they have to list all of the ingredients contained in their products. Thanks for the link also, roaming around the site, which is excellent, thanks again.
HappyMrsBass says
Thanks Joyce! Glad to see that others are looking more into the ingredients of body care products. 🙂
Hannah says
This was very informative! Thanks!
Jills Home Remedies says
Thank you, Hannah! 🙂