Cosmetic products are packed with ingredients of all kinds and sorts, whether it’s natural extracts and essences, to active compounds and chemicals that act on a variety of skin concerns. To add to scent, texture, and the longevity of products, chemicals are added, often times leading to detrimental effects on your skin and body.
Parabens and sulphates tend to be the most common, with many companies (like Botanic Hearth!) advertising that their products are, in fact, paraben and sulphate free. But, what are parabens and sulphates? Why are they bad for you, and what benefits can you reap from not having them as part of your products?
Parabens are used as preservatives in cosmetics, skincare products, and make up. In ingredient lists, they’re usually shown by their chemical name, but the paraben suffix causes them to be easily identifiable.
While parabens are used in very small amounts in singular products, they are often found in a range of skin, hair, and wellness products, accumulating over time to lead to harmful effects in the body. Research has labelled paraben as a possible endocrine-disruptive chemical, or EDC, as it can mimic hormones like estrogen, interfering with the working of the endocrine system and causing a range of health issues, linked to increased possibilities of hormonal imbalances in people of all genders and breast cancer.
As with sulphates, they might not be as threatening as parabens, but are still good to avoid as increased use has been shown to cause dryness, irritation, and redness, many of which are skin concerns you might just be trying to avoid. Like parabens, sulphates are found in a lot of products, and you might recall your shampoo bottles having sodium lauryl sulphate or sodium laureth sulphate as the topmost ingredients - they’re also found in a variety of other products such as shower gels, toothpastes, and face washes.
It’s always better to stay safe and avoid parabens and sulphates wherever possible, to reduce any possibility of accumulation and thus, health risks. If you’re thinking about how the efficacy of products gets affected by removing these chemicals - while parabens can extend the lifespan of a product to about 2 years, natural preservatives keep it to about six months, a reasonable range in which a product can be finished. While sulphates are usually recommended for very greasy hair, they may cause irritation in people with sensitive skin, or those who simply do not need that kind of exfoliation or effect. As more research and information gets uncovered, it’s important to make informed choices about what you use for your body to make the best decision for your health and wellness.