As a mom and parent, we only want the best for our children. We feed them nutritious foods, read books to them and spend most of our time helping them grow up safe. But we may also be putting them at risk for allergies as a result of the lotions, shampoos, and diaper creams we are using on a daily basis. Baby´s skin, which is the largest organ in your body, is at high risk for irritation by harsh chemicals found in many skincare products.

We’ve posted about toxic chemicals in your personal care products from baby shampoos, lotions, creams and facial products to lipstick. These chemicals could lead to such diseases as asthma, ADHD, cancer, liver toxicity, brain tumors and nervous system disorders. In our post on Carcinogens we mentioned parabens, but now we want to go futher into explaining this toxic chemical, its possible effects and products you might be using that contain these chemicals.

When you look at the back of your products and read the ingredients label, you will most likely find parabens listed like the following:

Methylparaben

Butylparaben

Ethylparaben

Propylparaben

Isobutylparaben

Parabens are added chemical preservatives to many skin and body care products to extend their shelf life. They're used in foods, pharmaceutical drugs, cosmetic and baby products. Parabens are inexpensive and effective preservatives. They limit the growth of bacteria that could harm delicate skin. However, these same preservatives, parabens, act like hormones and disrupt the body´s immune system.

So how do parabens get into our body? They’re in some of the foods we eat but get flushed out of the body during digestion, making them not as harmful. However, when used in skin care products, small amounts of parabens are possibly getting absorbed directly into the body. Recently, Dr Phillipa Darbre, a British researcher, performed a study on 20 breast tumor samples and found traces of parabens in 18 of them; assuming that parabens applied directly to the skin were absorbed and remained in the breast tissue. This danger applies not only to girls/women but also to boys/men with recent studies in China showing low sperm count and decreased testosterone levels.

Even though only smaller studies have been done so far to prove that parabens are the concern in this health problem, I decided not to take the risk with my family. Don’t trust a name just because they have been around for many years. I was shocked to see that brand name products like Johnson & Johnson, a name that has been around for years, uses chemical parabens as a preservative. Companies change ingredients all the time. Start reading the ingredients on products you buy. If you don’t know what it is, or can´t find out, simply don´t buy it. There are safer natural alternatives that do not cause harm to you or your children. Also, be aware that words such as “natural, organic, tear free, gentle, calming, hypoallergenic and dermalogically tested” do not mean free or safe of toxic chemicals. Read labels, and don’t be mislead by front labels saying "paraben free". Always read the back for ingredients. An aware parent makes all the difference in happy and healthy children!