Why Our Mascara Is Paraben Free

If you have ever shopped our awesome eye makeup at Beauty For Real, you may have noticed that our black mascara, Hi-Def Mascara, is paraben free. More and more cosmetics companies are moving away from products with parabens in them. You might have noticed “paraben-free” labels popped up left and right, but you may not know exactly why. In this blog, we will give the lowdown on what parabens are and why we don’t put them in our best-selling volumizing mascara.

What are parabens?

Parabens are preservatives that have been used in a variety of beauty products since the 1950s. These chemicals are used to prevent bacteria, fungus, and mold growth. From lotions to shampoos to lipsticks to eyeshadow, parabens are present in roughly 85 percent of all cosmetics, making them the most used type of preservative in makeup. This is because they are very cheap and have proven to be effective.

So what’s the problem?

The problem is that recent research has shown that paraben may have detrimental effects on our health. Specifically, the issue is that research into breast cancer has discovered the presence of parabens in breast cancer tumors. Parabens have the ability to mimic estrogen, and estrogen exposure has been linked to the development of breast cancer. Some scientists believe that the prevailing presence of parabens in cosmetics may be messing with our endocrine systems because repeated exposure to these chemicals is disrupting the estrogen receptors in our bodies. Some researchers believe that the prevalence of parabens is linked to the rising rates of breast cancer. While we don’t know for sure if parabens really cause cancer, recent studies have led some scientists to be concerned. For example, one Danish study recently discovered that after participants applied lotions with parabens to their skin, parabens were detected in their blood hours later. Because of the ubiquity of parabens, their estrogen-mimicking abilities, and our ability to quickly and effectively absorb them into our bodies, we should be concerned about the potential impact of parabens.

What to watch out for

If you are concerned about the effects of these chemicals like we are, luckily, you have alternatives. When shopping for any personal care items, check for “paraben-free” labels. Read the ingredients and look for the following chemicals: butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, and anything else that ends in -paraben. As more and more consumers become aware of the potential problems with paraben, you will probably see more paraben-free options soon.

Better safe than sorry

In short, more research needs to be done on parabens to determine exactly how concerned we should be about their effects. While small amounts of parabens may be harmless, at Beauty For Real, we’d rather play it safe. After all, our mascara is going near your eye; who wants potentially toxic chemicals there?! We always aim for our products to be natural with as few ingredients as possible because we’re all about simplicity and quality.

When you need a volumizing mascara that won’t smudge and contains no parabens, shop Beauty For Real for one of our favorite products, Hi-Def Mascara.