PARABENS: WHAT THEY ARE AND WHY WE KEEP THEM AWAY

You’ve probably heard the term ‘parabens’ floating around the health and beauty world, but do you know what they really are? With so many ingredients under scrutiny these days (rightfully so), it can be hard to keep up-to-date and informed about what is on the naughty or nice list. So I’ve gone ahead and done some sleuthing into what parabens are, and why we have chosen to exclude them (you can’t sit with us.)

Parabens will show up in products under several names, including methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, isopropyl-, butyl- and isobutylparaben. Parabens are a kind of synthetic compound commonly used as a preservative, straight out of the 50s (literally), used to make products last longer on the shelves.

A 2004 British study showed that there were traces of five different parabens in the breast tissue of a whopping 19 out of 20 women studied. Although it didn’t prove causation with cancer, it did prove that parabens “penetrate the skin and remain within the tissue”. And who wants a chemical preservative permanently making residence in their body tissue? I don’t know about you, but my intuitive hackles go way the hell up when I hear that. 

Not only are these pesky preservatives harmful to human bodies, but they are also bad for the environment. Parabens have been found in the body tissues of marine mammals, likely the direct result of humans using paraben-filled products and them working their way through the sewage system and into the environment.

So, parabens are a hard No for us. If we can’t prove that it is safe for you to use, we aren’t going to use it. Period, end of story. 

Click here to shop our paraben free products (hint: it's all of them!)