Articles
all expert articles
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17.04.2013author Lotte Tisenkopfa-Iltnere
Make your skin radiant – cosmetics with mineral pigments
Now it is for sure – the long winter and early spring chilliness is over, and this month we can celebrate the beginning of the summer season. However, the skin has not yet gained natural tan and might look slightly pale or grey. Fortunately we have created an effective and natural solution for this problem – decorative skin care cosmetics with mineral pigments!
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02.01.2012author Lotte Tisenkopfa-IltnereWhat are nanoparticles?
What are nanoparticles? What is the role of nanoparticles in cosmetics and what are the risks of nanocosmetics? What is the “grey cloud” and how to avoid it?
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02.01.2012author Lotte Tisenkopfa-IltnereHow to recognise natural cosmetics?
Certificates of natural cosmetics. When buying natural cosmetics in a shop or on the internet, it is possible to see different certification standards and certification stamps on the products – ECOCERT, BDIH, The Soil Association and others. This month, MADARA explains what natural cosmetics certification is and which stamp is more reliable.
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17.04.2013author Lauma ValeineDeodorants and Their Impact
When talking about cosmetic products for eliminating the unpleasant aroma of sweat, it is important to understand the difference between deodorants and antiperspirants/deodorants.
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17.04.2013author Lotte Tisenkopfa-IltnereWhat is a Toner?
Women often think that a facial toner does not have a substantial role in facial skin care and it is assumed that is enough to cleanse the skin with a suitable cleansing product and apply a face cream. In this way, women save both money and time, yet it turns out it is all for nothing as a facial toner is one of the most important products in facial skin care and without it skin care is not and cannot be wholesome.
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17.04.2013author Lotte Tisenkopfa-IltnereParabens — Contradictory Ingredient in Cosmetics
Parabens are the most commonly used synthetic cosmetic preservatives that are found in nearly every cosmetic product — face, body, hair and child care products, deodorants and make-up products. Usage of parabens in natural cosmetics is prohibited as the data about their safety is ambiguous. At the end of 2010, Denmark announced a ban on the usage of several parabens in products for child care.
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17.04.2013author Lauma ValeineNatural Alcohol in Cosmetics. Myths and Facts
Humans have known alcohol for thousands of years. It has been used for various purposes: preparation of drinks, medicine, household and manufacturing. Due to its antiseptic qualities, alcohol has also become an essential ingredient in the production of organic cosmetics. And yet some consumers are worried that alcohol dries and irritates the skin. What is the reality?
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17.04.2013author Lotte Tisenkopfa-IltnereSkin Care for Children
A child’s skin is more delicate and sensitive than an adult's; therefore it needs especially appropriate cosmetic products.
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17.04.2013author Lotte Tisenkopfa-IltnereFace Cleansing - the Basis for Everything!
Women often think that it doesn't matter what you use for make-up removal; what you apply to the face afterwards matters most. This myth, however, is flawed – the truth is that facial cleansing and products used for this are the most important steps in acquiring healthy and beautiful facial skin, as it is obvious that insufficiently or incorrectly cleansed skin will not be able to fully absorb the necessary substances even from the very best creams and serums, etc.
Parabens — Contradictory Ingredient in Cosmetics
Parabens are the most commonly used synthetic cosmetic preservatives that are found in nearly every cosmetic product — face, body, hair and child care products, deodorants and make-up products. Usage of parabens in natural cosmetics is prohibited as the data about their safety is ambiguous. At the end of 2010, Denmark announced a ban on the usage of several parabens in products for child care.
Parabens are p-hydroxybenzoic acid alkyl esters. There are several types of parabens including metylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, etc. and all of these substances are used to preserve synthetic cosmetics. Even though it is explicitly known that parabens can cause allergic reactions, they have been widely used for a long time. A research study that analyzed composition of cosmetic products more than 25 years ago concluded that at that time these preservatives were already included in 90% of all products. [8]
Paraben Paradox
Parabens used to be popular preservatives not only in cosmetics, but also in pharmaceuticals — medicinal creams, gels, etc. for external use. But pharmacists considerably reduced the usage of parabens due to the fact that parabens cause irritation and allergic reactions to 1.5% of users and therefore they are undesirable and substitutable for usage with other preservatives. At the same time, cosmetics’ producers do not consider 1.5% of users with negative reactions as a sufficiently important reason to start looking for other ways to preserve cosmetics and so they continue to use parabens.
Alexander Fisher, a researcher and an author of several books on dermatology, has clearly stated that wide usage of parabens in formulas of cosmetics used daily by millions of people is paradoxical considering the fact that parabens have been substituted in medicinal preparations. “Parabens are used everywhere, including in products for application to the skin around the eyes, in mascaras and even in the so called hypoallergenic cosmetics.” [1]
Not Just Allergy
Several research studies have been published over the past 20 years revealing other potentially negative properties of parabens. Various in vivo [2] and in vitro [3] studies proved that parabens have a slight impact that imitates estrogen or female sex hormones. Chemical substances that imitate the activity of hormones can influence the natural human hormonal system facilitating various illnesses, including oncologic ones.
Contradictory Studies
In 2002, a group of Australian scientists published a study that indicated a high concentration of parabens in breast cancer tissue once again proving the estrogen activity of parabens. This study initiated an industry-wide discussion about the potential interrelation between breast cancer and parabens and pointed out that there were not enough studies about the safety or dangers of using parabens. [4]
A study published the same year on the interrelation between deodorants and breast cancer questioned the harmful impact of parabens. 1606 women participated in the study and were divided into two similar groups – one group that used antiperspirants in the underarm zone and another one that did not. There was no proof that breast cancer morbidity rate would be higher in the group of women who used antiperspirants. [5]
However, the next study, carried out in 2004 analyzing the data of 437 patients who survived breast cancer treatment, concluded that women who used antiperspirants/deodorants got breast cancer at an earlier age than those women, who did not. [6]
Almost all researchers who have analyzed the potential connection between usage of cosmetics and breast cancer have concluded that there are not enough studies to prove the cancerogenous impact or harmlessness of the usage of parabens beyond doubt. Comprehensive multidisciplinary, long-term studies are necessary to either straighten out or confirm the suspicions and, thus, to motivate prohibition of the usage of parabens in cosmetic products. Without waiting for such studies to be published, at the end of 2010 Denmark was the first European Union Member State to ban the usage of the following two parabens in child care products — propylparaben and butylparaben. Currently it is not known whether other countries will also take precautions and prohibit usage of parabens in cosmetics for children or adults.
What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?
To reduce exposure to potentially harmful substances, pay attention to ingredients of a cosmetic product when buying it. It is very simple! First of all, find a list of ingredients on the product packaging that is normally marked with the word “Ingredients” or “INCI” (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients). Then, examine the ingredients on this list. Preservatives of the parabens’ group like metylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben are usually included in the end of the list — and if the list includes them then it is better to leave the product on the shelf. There is another way to protect yourself against parabens — choose cosmetic brands that offer certified natural cosmetics without parabens and other synthetic ingredients. In this case, look for a natural cosmetics certification stamp like ECOCERT, BDIH, NaTrue, Soil Association, ICEA.
References and Explanations
| 1. Fisher\'s contact dermatitis. Robert L. Rietschel, Joseph F. Fowler, Alexander A. Fisher. 2008. |
| 2. In vivo – studies that have been conducted on animals or volunteers |
| 3. In vitro – studies that have been conducted on cells that are separated from the organism |
| 4. Oestrogenic activity of parabens in MCF7 human breast cancer cells. Byford JR, Shaw LE, Drew MG, Pope GS, Sauer MJ, Darbre PD. 2002. |
| 5. Antiperspirant use and the risk of breast cancer. Mirick DK, Davis S, Thomass DB. 2002. |
| 6. Do underarm cosmetics cause breast cancer? PD, Marsfield L, Mokbel K. 2004. |
| 7. Concentrations of Parabens in Human Breast Tumours. P. D. Darbre, A. Aljarrah,W. R. Miller,N. G. Coldham, M. J. Sauer and G. S. Pope. 2004. |
| 8. Cosmetic dermatology: principles and practice. Baumann L. 2002. |
