Should You Avoid Parabens in Beauty Products?

Not all hair- care is created equal! If you feel like there seems to be more and more paraben free choices, you’d be right. Simply put, parabens are a group of preservatives commonly used in personal care products like cosmetics, lotions, toothpaste, hair color, and shampoos. You can find them in your products’ ingredients list under names like methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben, but there are more than these!

 In November, Han’s Beauty had the opportunity to work with ABC7 News to film a segment at our salon for their Circle of Health. 

Link to full story here: https://abc7.com/parabens-denise-dador/4625899/ 

Parabens unfortunately are everywhere and YES there are potential health risks to consider. After all, we should be concerned about what we put on our bodies just as much as what we put in our bodies. To recap our news feature, Dr. Shirley, a local Dermatologist shares

Parabens can act like estrogen by binding to the estrogen receptors on your cells, promoting growth of those cells. Meaning they may interfere with your hormones regardless of your sex. Some researchers believe that this long term repeated use can lead to the development of estrogen related cancers and even disrupt fertility. 

While parabens are not banned in the US, there is a growing trend to move towards cleaner ingredient based beauty and household products. The FDA has concluded since 1984 that the levels of paraben in personal care products are safe, but still customers consistently ask “What are the health risks and is it significant enough for it to matter?.” 

We’ve always recommended that if you can make the switch to paraben free options, do it. Oftentimes paraben free products are more expensive and in addition, to say that parabens are in their entirety bad is unfair. Parabens do serve a purpose which is to preserve your products. As a preservative, they help prevent the growth of mold and bacteria to prolong the life of your products. 

If you’d like to make the switch, double check on the product’s packaging to make sure it says “Paraben- Free.” Great, salon- quality brands for your hair without parabens exist such as Alterna. From shampoos and conditioners to hair styling creams and hairspray, the brand’s entire product line is paraben free AND sulfate free. For hair color, Naturcolor is paraben and ammonia free! 

Ready to try paraben free hair products? Shop online or in-store today!