parabens and sulfates

On a lot of products in our shop you will see the claim "free of parabens and sulfates,' but why is that a thing? Why do some people not want any parabens and sulfates in their products and why is it in there in the first place? In the blog post I will tell you all you need to know about parabens and sulfates.

What are parabens?

Parabens are chemicals that help to preserve cosmetic products longer. Since the 1940's you can find parabens in skin and hair products. It helps to prevent mold and bacteria, that can cause infections, from emerging.

You often see a symbol on jars that looks like a jar with an open lid with the text 6M, 12M or sometimes even 24M. This symbol represents how many months you can keep the product after opening.

Parabens help to prolong the shelf life of your skincare and hair products, so you do not have to throw it away after a few weeks because of bacteria or mold.

The most often used parabens are:

  • Methyl paraben
  • Ethyl paraben
  • Propyl paraben
  • Butyl paraben

But in total there are more than 35 different types of parabens. To mask the use of parabens they are sometimes renamed on the ingredient list on the packaging[1].

Usually cosmetic products do not contain more than 0,4% parabens, so you will find it at the end of the ingredient list in most cases.

In the United States you can find parabens in dust, ponds and even mineral water, so they are in more things than you initially would think.

What are parabens good for?

So, in the first place they prevent mold and bacteria from emerging in your products, so the product will be safe to use on your skin longer and will not cause any infections. The FDA (the American Food and Drug Administration) classified parabens as safe to use.

Research also shows that of all the ingredients the cosmetic industry uses, that parabens are actually the least allergic ones[2]. So, the chance of getting an allergic reaction of parabens is actually lower than any substitutes.

Another benefit of parabens is that they do not have any scent or taste, so you will not notice when they are in certain products. They are also pH neutral and they also do not harden or discolor over time.

These last reasons explain why you can find parabens in quite a lot of cosmetic products, shampoos and skincare products.

So, why are parabens considered bad?

Even though the chance of an allergic reaction is very small, it is still possible. Some people will get eczema as a reaction to parabens for example. About 0,5% to 3,5% of users experiences this issue, so that is a maximum of 1 in every 30 people.

Parabens have also been discovered in breast tissue and breast cancer. That is why there is the fear of a link between the use of parabens and breast cancer, but multiple studies are contradicting each other, so there is no consensus about it[3].

The idea is that parabens are having an effect on estrogen levels and that this effect can cause breast cancer, but the research is inconclusive at this point.

When there are a lot of parabens in your urine, there could be a correlation with changes in your DNA and hormones that are being produced by your thyroid. But you do not have to worry, because parabens in skincare products usually do not penetrate the skin[4].

What are sulfates?

Sulfates that are used in skincare and cosmetic products are usually magnesium sulfate or other metal sulfates. They are being used to increase the volume of a product. Some sulfates work as surfactants to cleanse your skin and scalp[5].

In most regular products there will not be more than 11% of magnesium sulfate per product. An example of a product like that is a moisturizer.

If the product is a cleanser, like a face wash or shampoo, it will be about 25% of sulfates per product in many cases.

Of all the sulfates out there, it has been discovered that about half of them do not irritate the skin of mice[6]. Sulfates are deemed safe to use by the FDA[7].

What are sulfates good for?

You will find sulfates primarily in cleansing products like soap, shampoo, detergent and toothpaste. So, sulfates are primarily meant to wash dirt away. They also help the product to foam nicely.

Some sulfates are have a natural source, like sulfates that occur in drinking water, like salts and minerals. Other sulfates you can find in pesticides, fertilizer and anti-bacterial products.

If you like cleansing and foamy products, then products with sulfates is probably what you need.

Do you use a lot of hair styling or skincare products, then your skin or hair can become a bit greasy. Cleansing products with sulfates will help you to get rid of this greasiness.

So, why are sulfates considered bad?

As with parabens, sulfates can cause irritation, like irritation at your eyes, skin or lungs. That is why too frequent use is not recommended. Some people can also experience acne because of sulfates[8].

And because sulfates are excellent surfactants and degreasers, they can sometimes strip your skin or hair of its natural oils. That can cause dryness and that can cause irritation in return.

When you have a dry or sensitive skin, it could be smart to try products without sulfates. You may need to get used to them a bit, because they usually foam less.

To produce sulfates the industry sometimes uses coconut trees or palm oil. That is also a reason why because certain people prefer not to use these ingredients. The production of palm oil has been linked to deforestation.

And a last reason is animal testing. Because of the potential irritation at your eyes, skin or lungs, certain products are being tested on animals to make sure they are safe. So, if you are against animal testing, please check the label of your product carefully[9].

Products without any parabens or sulfates

In general you can see that you do not have to worry a lot about parabens or sulfates, except when you are allergic for them or have ideological concerns for not using them.

That is why in our Moquer Shop the majority of our products are paraben and sulfate free. We have convenient filters that help you to select products that do not contain any parabens or sulfates. Almost our complete assortiment is cruelty free as well.

Usually you will see that many cheaper cosmetic products in drug stores and super markets contain parabens and sulfates. The higher quality the products are, the less likely the chance is they contain parabens and sulfates, because more and more people prefer paraben and sulfate free products.

When you like to be notified about our latest blog posts, exclusieve discounts and other novelties, then do not forgot to sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Sources:

[1] https://journals.lww.com/dermatitis/_layouts/15/oaks.journals/ImageView.aspx?article=00002&i=T4&issue=01000&k=dermatitis:2019:01000:00002&type=Fulltext&year=2019

[2] https://journals.lww.com/dermatitis/FullText/2019/01000/Parabens.2.aspx?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=237ab7b63472aeef6245915df0995eb7be917aed-1608804367-0-AeQk7Tnvkdw-9DzNfyzTDkfIFJjxgzRPFv2PtqGcvAQrFzVbfP8PimOi48ETyaFhGd1-RGVuxSLlx73L_pBb94YhKsMI9TKiK5Joi9Rog9OxqznazKf4jV9co9TDQilRCSXArBhmtJ3ee_Q5Op3M5PwblB258wmDbNvzSzvhT1BncQjjIyOgFL98NMeQtL7vlxO7eSCjmHSP2GPBsLnWqV_anKrirTrQTVM9VLtnWI07O-A_Ungiz8fyzEmJMyl9bAl_djZacpdWnQhJu-UdykthMDutBqyaAIYzRx2OZ0JTQIQhK4q2MfZWbmqNMK94Kh1ZqZorYy6QyACDZowqKAc8UG-nEqCwAvs6ZBFE7WmQ1TnOCs8ZHN87NYjKIqFSFE-7qcJeGbXKFYGj7S1Ofdmi9Ex2rPR8nvU5nQeYe4og-1woDrUkuNnmxTfyAay0wQ

[3] https://www.grimalt.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/parabens-2013.pdf

[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412014000579

[5] https://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/sodium-laureth-sulfate

[6] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1091581818773355

[7] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1091581810364665

[8] https://www.teenvogue.com/story/sulfates-and-sulfate-free-beauty-products-facts

[9] https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/sulfates#controversy