Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as artificial preservatives in cosmetic andbodycare products since the 1920s. Since cosmetics contain ingredients that can biodegrade, these chemicals are added to prevent and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and mold, increasing the shelf life of the product.
Are Parabens Bad For You?
Unfortunately, there’s no straight answer here, hence a decades-long debate.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have deemed parabens safe for use in cosmetics (a category that includes makeup, skin care, hair care and shaving products) with no suggested limits on concentration..
According to EU and FDA regulations, parabens in their current form are officially considered safe to use, since cosmetic products only use a very small concentration of these ingredients in their formulas (up to around 0.4 percent, though measurements do differ for each paraben).
More research is needed though.