FDA Approved Chemicals you can put on your Skin that increase Aging

We are continuing our series of blog posts on FDA approved chemicals that may increase aging. If you missed #1 you can find it here. 

Yeah, it's true.  

As you are selecting these products to aid your skin, they may in fact be the thing that is making you feel and look older.   

FDA APPROVED INGREDIENT #2 

Paraben

Parabens are a class of widely used preservatives in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Chemically, they are a series of parahydroxybenzoates or esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid.

These CHEAP preservatives are commonly used to increase the shelf life of a product. They keep products looking and smelling great for longer space (than is natural).

First introduced in the 1950s, parabens were to keep the product from spoiling by preventing it from being able to grow mold and or bacteria.

Today, however, we have remembered to appreciate mold and bacteria.  And we know that all are not bad.  In fact if it can grow mold and or bacteria, this means it is alive.  And being alive is often better than dead, no?

When we use "active" ingredients, this use to mean the beneficial properties of said plant.  Yet when the industrial age set in this became the chemical compound that mimicked the original plant property that was "active" or dare i say, healing?    

Quite a few studies show concern that the breast tissue is a place of accumulation, able to be extracted, meaning intact -parabens.  While they will not admit to it being the 'cause' of cancer, it is a known fact that it travels through the skin and can be collected in the tissue.  (1)

And yet parabens are believed to disrupt hormone function by mimicking oestrogen.  And too much oestrogen can trigger an increase in breast cell division and growth of tumours, which is why paraben use has been linked to breast cancer and reproductive issues.

Most commonly used parabens are labeled as methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparabenbutylparaben.
 
Parabens are also known to:

• Exacerbate dryness
• Increase visibility of fine lines and wrinkles
• Reddening of the skin
• May cause burning sensation

If you feel like you must have some kind of preservative in your personal care products there are a lot of alternatives out there today.  Some truly natural alternatives are rosemary and oregano extract, T-50 Vitamin E Oil, & Grapefruit Seed Extract.  
If you are okay with preservatives but still want to be "natural" Germaben II and Anti-Microbials are fairly new to the market.  (I say that because like many things, they get tested on the public first before really knowing what they will do in the long run.) 

As for TribalMama.com we are a preservative FREE company.  This may be a bit risky but our products are formulated in small batches and almost exclusively made to order.  As long as you use your product and not let it sit around, it should be gone before it expires.  Additionally most of our products are high quality plant based, meaning they do not include water which is the ingredient for bacteria and or mold to grow.  Many of our nourishing butters and oils are also anti fungal and anti bacterial so antiseptic in general.  

And we include the shelf life on products that may be higher risk.      

1.) NCBI Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumours
     JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY