Parabens Come From Plants
Lise
That title is true, you know. Parabens are naturally occurring in many plants. Like the one pictured here: Japanese honeysuckle (INCI: Lonicera japonica).
Paraben preservatives have been around and used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals for almost 100 years.
In more recent years, many natural cosmetics companies have been advertising their products as paraben-free, yet listed Japanese Honeysuckle extract on the ingredients list.
Hmmm.
I'm not sure whether to be annoyed with them for lying about their products being paraben-free or to be annoyed about parabens being publicly vilified for so long they must be hidden behind a plant extract name.
The truth is, parabens are a part of nature and as such, we ingest and apply them regularly.
There’s More Than One Paraben
Note the S. Parabens aren't just one ingredient. There are several parabens.
These are the most commonly used parabens in cosmetics:
Ethylparaben
Methylparaben
Propylparaben
Butylparaben
But there are even more.
The following parabens were approved for cosmetics earlier, but have (since 2014) been banned from use in the EU:
Isopropylparaben
Isobutylparaben
Phenylparaben
Benzylparaben
Pentylparaben
And (believe it or not) there are even more parabens, but we're sticking to the cosmetics and food related ones in this post.
Where the Paraben Name Comes From
The name paraben is a condensation of the name Para-hydroxybenzoic acid. Parabens are esters of para-hydroxybenzoic acid.
What this means: para-hydroxybenzoic acid is chemically changed (reacted) by adding different types of alcohol to it (also called esterified).
Parabens in Nature
In nature, you will find parabens in abundance. They are naturally present in carrots, cocoa, vanilla, strawberries, and grapes. Methylparaben is found in blueberries, where it acts as a natural antimicrobial agent. You'll also find parabens in olives, coconut, ylang ylang, black currants, and peaches.
There's even more, but I'm sure you get the drift.
Even though they are naturally occurring in many botanicals, paraben preservatives are not produced by extracting plants. That would be far too pricey a process to be viable. The paraben preservatives for cosmetics and foods are made in labs using manmade chemicals.
Is this Scary?
According to some, it gives cause for concern. According to others, it doesn't.
Science doesn't agree on every point and is continually studying and reassessing, so I'm going to give you a few of the different (and more current) statements I have been able to find.
Cosmeticsinfo.org writes:
"Para-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers, cherries, carrots, blueberries, and onions, and is also formed naturally in your body by the breakdown of certain amino acids. The parabens used in cosmetics are identical to those found in nature, and are quickly eliminated by the body."
(LINK)
Robert Tisserand, author of Essential Oil Safety, wrote an article in 2009 entitled The Paraben Parable where he states
"The paraben “scare” was based on the fact that parabens were found in the breast tissue of women with breast cancer, even though no causal association was established. Presumably milk might be found in cancerous breast tissue too, but does that mean that milk causes breast cancer? No, the fundamental reason for banishing parabens was that the popular press decided that parabens very likely caused breast cancer."
Read the entire article here.
Dene Godfrey, author of Preservation and Preservatives is quoted in a 2009 article in Cosmetics Design saying that much of the bad press about parabens stems from a study published in 2004 that was "seriously flawed". (LINK)
The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed (after yet another review of) the safety of parabens in cosmetics in 2013 that, dosed as recommended, parabens are still safe for use in cosmetics. (LINK)
Some of the more recent studies are more cautious. This 2021 paper 'Parabens as chemicals of emerging concern in the environment and humans: A review' states
"..recent research indicates that parabens may act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and thus, are considered as chemicals of emerging concern that have adverse human health effects."
(LINK)
The most recent (2021) information from the (European) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) (specifically on propylparaben) concludes that it comes down to a question of dose:
"The available data on propylparaben provide some indications for potential endocrine effects. However, the current level of evidence is not sufficient to regard it as an endocrine disrupting substance, or to derive a toxicological point of departure based on endocrine disrupting properties for use in human health risk assessment."
(LINK)
The Amended Safety Assessment of Parabens as Used in Cosmetics, 2020 states:
"The Panel concluded that 20 of the 21 parabens included in this report are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment when the sum of the total parabens in any given formulation does not exceed 0.8%."
(LINK)
In contrast, the USA continues to use parabens that have been banned in the EU since 2014. This article from 2019 by Oliver Milman in the Guardian states:
“Generally, the EU has got it right. In the US, we have a strong favouritism towards companies and manufacturers, to the extent that public health and the environment is being harmed. The pendulum has swung in an extreme way and it’s really going to take a general awakening by the public.”
(LINK)
Conclusion: Too Much Confusion
It's no wonder many have steered clear of parabens over recent years. Some parabens are completely banned in some countries and allowed in others.
They continue to be 'lumped together' as a single thing which makes the question of 'paraben safety' confusing for everyone. Which paraben are we talking about, and at which usage rate? I can understand how some might find it easier to just say no to all of them as it takes a serious amount of research to stay up to date with the latest findings. And since paraben preservatives have been around for almost 100 years, there's enough information and studies to get stuck into!
I have worked with parabens for numerous years and would have to dig deep in both my notes and memory to find a single occasion where they have failed in a formulation. I don't recall that they ever have. There's no denying that consistently stable and able preservatives makes formulation work even more enjoyable - who doesn't love a stable workhorse preservation system?
That said, I have been so immersed in Hurdle Technology in recent years that I rarely use any 'added' preservatives in my formulations any more.
All Natural Please
In general, I am a fan of all natural everything, so please allow me to share the recipe for a refreshingly tasty all-natural paraben-rich concoction.
Paraben Smoothie
20 Strawberries
1 cup Coconut Milk
2 Peaches
Handful of ice cubes
Whiz in a blender until smooth and enjoy topped with a dollop of strawberry ice cream.
Enjoy!
More About Parabens
Paraben's bad press are based on flawed science: Dene Godfrey cited in Cosmetics Design (LINK)
CosmeticInfo.org on parabens (LINK)
L. Cassiday, The preservative wars, AOCS Feb 2013 (LINK)
Y. Naseer, There is nothing wrong with parabens, Illumination 2021 (LINK)
D. Godfrey, Cosmetic Formulation, Chapter: Preservation and Preservatives, 2019 (LINK)
Chemical Safety Facts.org on Parabens (2022) (LINK)
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