Friday 28 September 2012

Parabens: What's all the hype?

Parabens are fast becoming a controversial topic in the beauty world, but what are they and why are they causing such a stir?

Ok, so here comes the scientific bit; parabens are used for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties, in English, they are preservatives. They are widely used in the cosmetic industry in products such as; shampoos, make-up and fake tan. If you want to check if they are in any products that you use, take a look at the ingredients list and look for anything that ends in 'paraben' e.g. Butylparaben. There has been a buzz about parabens because they have been found in breast cancer tumours and have the ability to mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. But, enough scaremongering I hear you say, it is important to remember that the jury is still to deliver a verdict on the safety of these ingredients. After all, some parabens are found naturally in blueberries.

Whichever side you are on, this debate has seen the emergence of 'paraben free' products, containing alternative natural preservatives such as; grapefruit seed extract. If you are interested in trying out some of these new products, here are some I would recommend...

Bliss Body Butter - as well as being paraben free, this product smells great. I like the Blood Orange and White Pepper version, it kind of reminds me of Christmas as summer at the same time, weird huh?! I would say this product is more of a moisturiser than a 'butter' though as it just doesn't have that thick consistency. £18.45 for 200ml.

King of Skin - this is perfect for girls (or guys) who are on the go, or just a bit lazy (I like to call it efficiency). Basically, you slather it on in the shower, get out and your skin is silky smooth. This stuff is so good they have patented it. Anyway, I find it a lot less hassle than a lotion and it's pretty reasonable at £5.25 for 75g from Lush.

BareMinerals Warmth and Mineral Veil - I love this brand, I think it's especially suited to those who have hyper-pigmentation, as it allows your freckles to show through rather than masking them. They are priced at £16.15 and £17.00 respectively.

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water - so I originally bought this product for the nifty gadget on the top of the bottle which prevents spillages, something I was always doing with my Clinque cleanser (and that stuffs not cheap). But it's actually really good, it removes all of my makeup and leaves my skin feeling hydrated. Only problem is Sephora don't ship to the UK and I'm not sure when I will next be going to the US. Who else wishes Sephora would come back to the UK? Let me know if you guys can recommend any cleansers for when this finishes.

Batiste Dry Shampoo - a life saver on those 'in between washes' days, they do a huge range with different scents to different colours which are great for covering pesky roots. It won't break the bank at £4.99 for 400ml and it's always on offer at Boots.

Vita Liberata PHenomenal Tanning Mousse - I don't think this tanner lasts the three weeks it claims but it does last longer than any other tanner I have tried, which makes it more economical than it sounds. It's 24.99 for 125ml, saving 1/3rd at Boots at the moment.

What is your view on parabens? Can you recommend any 'paraben free' products? Thank you all for reading :)

4 comments:

  1. This was so interesting to read, as I haven't heard about any of this fuss! Thank you for keeping me updated and of course, aware.

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    1. Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it x

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  2. Great post! Very interesting topic....
    Following you now.. ;)
    Hope you'll Follow back. Thank's A lot!

    Kisses from VV!!
    www.voguelyvan.com

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    1. Hey, thank you very much, I love your blog, have followed back. X

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