Fear of Parabens in Cosmetics is Unwarranted

“Fear of Parabens Compromises Safety of Certain Cosmetic Products,” By American Council on Science and Health.
Parabens are commonly used in foods and cosmetics as preservatives. Back in 2004, Dr. Philippa Darbre of the University of Reading published a study reporting that many breast cancer tumors contained parabens. This study resulted in an unwarranted fear of parabens based on the claim by Dr. Darbre that these preservatives have estrogen-like activity which has been linked to breast cancer. However, Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Montreal, and ACSH friend, points out that the estrogenic activity of parabens is “thousands of times less than that of estrogenic substances…or indeed of the estrogen produced naturally in the body.” And regulatory agencies have dismissed Darbre’s study.   Read more.