Parabens are believed to disrupt hormone function by mimicking estrogen. Too much estrogen can trigger an increase in breast cell division and growth of tumors, which is why paraben use has been linked to breast cancer and reproductive issues.

So why are Parabens in  beauty products?  And why is it allowed?  It’s in beauty products used as a cheap preservative.  Since big manufacturers want to save money and extend shelf life, they use parabens in their beauty products.  Why is it allowed?  The U.S. Government made the decision that an “allowable amount” of parabens can be in a product.   So….what’s the problem?  They didn’t consider what I call “totality.”  There’s a percentage of parabens in your face wash (Check CETAPHIL folks – dermatologist recommend it but it has parabens in it).  It’s then in your face toner, then another percentage is in your shampoo, in your conditioner,  in your fragrance, mascara, etc. (One of the reasons I formulated an all natural mascara).  You get the picture…consumption of parabens with EACH beauty product that adds up to A LOT of parabens (yeah…and you thought the government was protecting you).    And this is why I go BONKERS …the deception that results in harmful exposure to chemicals.

At Soaps and Such, all the products I formulate are PARABEN FREE!  That’s my commitment to you.  I’ve done the research and substituted a natural preservative in my formulas.  As well, no ingredients are used in my formulations that are higher than a 4 on a 1-10 scale. Most ingredients are a 0-2 on the Environmental Working Groups scale indicating safe ingredients.

How can you know if a product has Parabens in it?  Read the label. Start at the end of the ingredient list since that’s where it will likely be.  Any word with a “aben” in it like methylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, etc. has Parabens in it.

Here’s an example: Cetaphil wash contains the following ingredients: Water, cetyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearylalcohol, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben.

That is just one product.  So why do Dermatologist recommend it?  I certainly don’t know.  You need to be your own safe keeper.  Keep your eyes open and read the label.  What you put on your skin goes into your body….into your blood stream.  At Soaps and Such, rest assured, no “arabens” on my watch.

Keeping you healthfully beautiful!

Kelly Bruning, Founder, Soaps and Such