It all began with Parabens.
The scary word that became a household name way back in 2012 when researchers found links between parabens and breast cancer.
A study done on mice using parabens at 100% concentration, found a small change in the breast tissues. It was concluded that parabens have an affinity for estrogen which leads to hormonal changes and possible risk of breast cancer.
It is important to note that the study was at 100% concentration, while cosmetics do not need and are not allowed to use parabens beyond 1%.
But the damage was already done!
The fear of parabens was so huge that it gave birth to 'clean skincare'.
Where the hype began however, was the food industry.
Highly processed, mass produced food, sugary cereals and drinks have shown strong links to cancer. Fast food, obesity, pesticides, growth hormones..everything seemed connected. And all were triggers for lifestyle diseases and ofcourse cancer.
The clean food movement began and every ingredient that went into a food packet was rightfully questioned.
This overlap increased fear in the cosmetic industry.
It pushed scientists to discover new preservative systems which didn't mess with our bodies nor the environment.
But some brands went a step further and claimed to be preservative free.
Is going preservative free a better option?
Uncontrolled growth of germs can create havoc on the face. There have been documented cases of severe reactions and blindness upon using a contaminated product.
An ill preserved product can change its pH to become ineffective or worse too acidic and can burn the skin.
Product shelf life is also reduced drastically. No bang for the buck! And we Indians love to stretch our rupees to the limit. Nothing disappoints more than a barely used expired product.
But for some brands it is just a marketing claim!
No brand would risk the lives of the customer and not add preservatives. The lack of knowledge of the preservative system makes a person think there isn’t any but digging deeper, you might notice a few multifunctional ingredients which serve the purpose of a preservative!
Be proud that there is a preservative in your product. It is there to help. You can choose which preservatives you want to avoid. There is life beyond the parabens.
And of course, stay away from fear mongers, You do not need that kind of negativity in your life!
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