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View Full Version : What IS a paraben anyway?



MandaMom2Three
June 20th, 2009, 08:30 PM
Ok, I found this interesting hair oil at walmart.All the ingredients are good natural stuff except the last few, which are all parabens :p . I am not using any cones or sulfates right now, would CO and shampoo bars be enough to deal with them, or do they not cause build up, I don't really even know what they ARE :confused:

Speckla
June 20th, 2009, 08:36 PM
They are preservatives that can be absorbed into the skin and they act like estrogen.

http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/SelectedCosmeticIngredients/ucm128042.htm

Fractalsofhair
June 20th, 2009, 08:36 PM
Parabens will not cause build up. Many people avoid them for health reasons(They're thought to mimic estrogen, which concerns some) or allergies(in my case, I get hives when I use products with them). They are also made from petroleum, which is a not terribly renewable resource given our rate of us. They are used to preserve products and prevent mold so we don't have to keep our hair products in the fridge. They're fairly harmless, but being a preservative, people do worry about them, and the studies on them aren't too wonderful, but there haven't been paraben related cancers in people(unlike other drugs or products use, or mercury in mascara in terms of danger). They're in VERY small amounts, and thus should not be TOO harmful compared to other ingredients. Fragrance on the other hand is in large amounts and we don't know which chemicals are used in a particular fragrance, but what we do know is that some are dangerous, and others are safe. That's a little bit more worrysome to me. I avoid parabens as I get hives and such from using products with them. That's not terribly common though. The cheapest and best option for hair oils are cooking oils from a grocer, if you choose to avoid parabens. Oils that are not mixed with water are often self preserving making parabens unneeded but they are added to make the products last way longer,so you can use them a good 5 years after getting them, without problems with rancidity.

MandaMom2Three
June 20th, 2009, 09:30 PM
Well, I've already got a little on my hair right now, I think I'll see how my hair likes it. My hair is so darn picky it probably won't like it ANYWAY, but if it does, I think I WILL use it (most likely there are parabens in my conditioner anyway :rolleyes: ) but I'll try not to get it on the scalp at all, which wont be hard as unless I'm using my "haironnaise" I don't generally put any oil on my scalp ANYWAY, just on the more dry and damaged length. As long as it;s not likely to cause more damage to my hair, or cover UP damage like cones, I'm not TOO worried. Thanks for the responces :flower:

Fractalsofhair
June 20th, 2009, 09:40 PM
Don't worry about putting it on your scalp if it's needed. Parabens are very commonly used, and certainly not as dangerous as other chemicals(Though they are a cause for concern). It definitely shouldn't harm your hair at all due to the EXTREMELY minute amounts used. A mix of pure parabens might have some issues, IDK.