Parabens - Harmful or Not?

While reading this article please keep in mind I am not an expert and this article is based only on my personal research!

Parabens are a widely used ingredient in personal care products. You can find them in pretty much every cosmetic product in your home (shampoos, moisturizers, cleansing gels, toners, make-up products).

As you may have noticed, nowadays a lot of cosmetics come with the label “paraben-free”.

You might be wondering why should you avoid them even if they can be found in 85 % of cosmetic products. Over the past few years, a debate has been going on among scientists whether these ingredients may be harmful for our health.

What are parabens?

Parabens are a group of preservatives used to prevent bacterial and microbial contamination of products, especially in the moist, warm environment of a bathroom. The most common names of parabens include methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben, but you may also find isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben or benzylparaben. Their importance is unquestionable as they are a necessary antibacterial ingredient in every cosmetic product.

So what's the problem with them?

Some scientists started questioning their safety use after finding low concentrations of parabens in breast cancer tumors. That's because parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen. However, it has been proved that parabens are 100,000 times weaker than natural estrogen in the body, so they're far too weak to have a role in the development of breast cancer.

Should I still avoid them?

The answer would be no. Despide the controversy going on in the media, researchers have come to the conclusion that parabens, in the small amounts used in cosmetics, are not harmful ingredients consumers should avoid.

It's up to you if you decide to choose the precautious way of not using products containing them. But you should know they have been allowed for use as cosmetic ingredients by the U.S. FDA and the European Commission and there is no reason for consumers to be concerned about the use of products containing parabens.

I personally think the media has an important role in developing the intellect of the masses and tends to exaggerate, leading people to misconception. My fear is that, trying to get away of some things, we are approaching others that are worse. I'm pretty sure that those “paraben free” products contain more dangerous substituants or even worse, other preservatives with less of a proven track record.

What do you think? What are other ingredients you try to avoid when shopping for cosmetic products?

[REVIEW] Gerovital Plant Thermo-Protective Hair Serum

I often hear how Gerovital cosmetics are so professional and how people actually trust them, without further research, because they are made from the best ingredients. Some of them are quality ones, I give you that, but if they have some good creams and cosmetics, it doesn't mean that you should blindly trust ALL of the brand's product.

I decided to talk about the Thermo-protective serum, because I also trusted the product and bought it without learning more about it. Besides, the package says they are from a line called "Plant", which means ... natural. At least until you read the ingredients.

And the first ingredient you see is... ALCOHOL! 

Now, in case you don't know how harmful alcohol can be for your hair's health, you may think this is not a big deal. In fact, many skin, body and hair products have alcohol in their composition, but not all types of alcohol are harmful, some of them are in very low concentration and they are there for the cream's texture. 

Alcohol (this type) is a drying and irritant agent in cosmetics. You can rarely use it in small quantities if you have oily skin, but even so, it's not advisable. What's getting me mad is the fact that this is a thermo-protective serum. We usually use this kind of serums before blow-drying or straighten/curling our hair. Alcohol, in combination with major heat does exactly the opposite of what the serum promises to do, and that is to PROTECT the hair.

ALSO! Besides alcohol, the product contains other harmful ingredients too, like Perfume, Linalool, Limonene.

My recommendation is: DO NOT use his serum, especially if you curl, straighten, heat blow-dry your hair. There are better alternatives on the market and reading the ingredients may save your hair.