I recently learned Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa shampoo has parabens in it. I have ranted and raved about this line of products for quite some time and like Naputural85, I took an additional two seconds to review the bottle one day and there it was. Parabens!
Most of us are familiar with parabens and if not, here’s the textbook definition:
Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of formulas. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals, spray tanning solution, makeup, and toothpaste. They are also used as food additives. Their efficacy as preservatives, in combination with their low cost, the long history of their use, and the inefficacy of natural alternatives like grapefruit seed extract (GSE), probably explains why parabens are so commonplace. They are becoming increasingly controversial, however, because they have been found in extremely low concentrations in breast cancer tumors (an average of 20 nanograms/g of tissue). Parabens have also displayed the ability to slightly mimic estrogen (a hormone known to play a role in the development of breast cancer). No effective direct links between parabens and cancer have been established. No direct evidence of a causal link between parabens and cancer, however, has been shown. A 2005 review of the data available at that time concluded "it is biologically implausible that parabens could increase the risk of any estrogen-mediated endpoint, including effects on the male reproductive tract or breast cancer" and that "worst-case daily exposure to parabens would present substantially less risk relative to exposure to naturally occurring endocrine active chemicals in the diet such as the phytoestrogen daidzein. The American Cancer Society also concluded that there was insufficient scientific evidence to support a claim that use of cosmetics such as antiperspirants increase an individual's risk of developing breast cancer, but went on to state that "larger studies are needed to find out what effect, if any, parabens might have on breast cancer risk. While current studies do not causally link parabens with tumors, neither do these studies demonstrate that parabens are safe; the long-term health effects of exposure to parabens are essentially unknown. *Source: Wikipedia
I do prefer products that are all natural or organic, paraben, sulfate and cone free, however, I do use a few products that are not. That being said, I have discontinued using the shampoo. I haven’t decided yet if I'm overacting because of the small percentage in the product and the “no direct evidence" as stated above. I also wonder, what else am I using that contains parabens?
How do you ladies feel? Is this enough information to make you give TJ’s products, or any other product containing parabens, the deuces?
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