We’ve talked about parabens before. They scare me. In the past year, I’ve made an effort to abolish them from my home. I hope you’ll do the same. It’s a change that could even save your life.

This morning, my husband sent me a link to this article on parabens at New Scientist. The article is from 2004, but still worthy of mention. It got me started on a search of what’s new in paraben information. Here’s a few quotes and links.

From The Montreal Gazette:

“Why are more women then ever being diagnosed with breast cancer?

Jane Brody, an internationally renowned epidemiologist, suspects the culprits are everyday pollutants found in everyday areas - drinking water, the air, detergents, pesticides, plastics and cosmetics.

“Most chemicals have not been studied for their effect on breast cancer, so there’s a huge knowledge gap,” Brody said in an interview yesterday.”

The article goes on to say:

“We have some evidence but we might not have proof for many years. But when it comes to your health and your family’s health, many choose not to wait for proof.”

From “Breast cancer and exposure to hormonally active chemicals: An appraisal of the scientific evidence,” a paper by Professor Andreas Kortenkamp, Head of the Centre for Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of London, UK

“People can avoid using products with suspected ingredients - for example cosmetics containing parabens, chemicals commonly added to fight bacteria and fungi - or applying pesticides in the home.

There is convincing evidence that natural and synthetic oestrogens play a role in breast cancer. This has led to renewed concerns about chemicals with hormonal activities found in food, personal care products or as environmental contaminants. These substances include organochlorine pesticides such as DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dioxins and furans, plasticizers, UV-filter agents in sun creams, widely used preservatives and antioxidants such as parabens. Many of these agents were shown to behave like the female sex hormone oestradiol, although much higher concentrations are usually required to show effects of similar strength.

However, their high persistence, combined with their widespread presence in human tissues adds to fears regarding their potential role in the development of breast cancer. It appears plausible to suspect that these  compounds too would be contributors to breast cancer risks, just like pharmaceutical oestrogens. What is the evidence for an involvement of synthetic and natural chemicals in breast cancer?

The uncertainty about an involvement of individual endocrine disrupting chemicals in breast cancer stems in part from the general features of investigations that aim to pinpoint specific risk factors as linked to cancer risks. To be identified as a determinant of risk, the effects of a specific chemical have to be quite pronounced. These difficulties are not limited to studies of the effects of chemicals. Investigations of the role of diet in breast cancer have also failed to show consistent and statistically significant associations between fruit and vegetable intake, or dietary antioxidants and breast cancer.”

Before you buy beauty products, check to see if the manufacturer is a part of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. Read labels, and set up a custom shopping list for yourself at Skin Deep.