When it comes to environmental friendly products, one set of ingredients to look out for and to avoid are parabens. Parabens are a sort of preservative used in cosmetics in general and shampoo in particular. They are even used in some foods and medicines. Parabens are used to inhibit microbial growth, and they are not a new substance – as far back as the 1920s, parabens were used as preservatives.

You can recognise parabens on ingredients, and can be known as “methylparaben, propylparaben, benzylparaben and butylparaben,” all end in “paraben,” making them fairly easy to recognize. Experts are now warning against the use of parabens, both for people who only want to buy environmental friendly products, and for those who are concerned about their health.

1) Breast Cancer

A study in 2004 showed that there were traces of five parabens in cancerous breast tumours. The study did not show that the parabens were the cause, but they do have an estrogen-like activity in the boyd – and estrogen has been linked to breast cancer.

What the study does show is that parabans can stay in human tissue, and that they are not quickly excreted by the body. The study raises a lot of questions, though it’s also important to realise that the results are inconclusive.

2) Water Supply

When you use a shampoo that contains parabens, the reason that they are not considered environmental friendly products is that they will be washed down the drain and go into the water supply and the general environment.

Microorganisms are killed in our water supply, though parabens are not microorrganisms and can keep going round the water supply.

3) Baby Products

When it comes to shampoos, there are no regulations concerning the amount of parabens contained. However, you should remember that they may pose a bigger risk to babies whose systems are less developed and who are at a greater risk of toxins than adults.

When it comes to environmental friendly products, the use of parabens is controversial. There are no definitive studies that prove parabens are unsafe, but there is a high level of doubt surrounding this ingredient.