Parabens are man- made chemicals that are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetic products and personal care products, including makeup, moisturizers, and deodorants, and even foods and medications. The most common parabens include methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, CDC).
There is a controversy on the health risks related to paraben exposure. In regard to topical application of parabens, parabens with shorter chains- such as methylparaben- have a deeper penetration than parabens with longer chains, like butyl paraben. Enzymes in the skin break down parabens to the primary structure, known as para- hydroxybenzoic acid (PBHA). Animal studies have found that oral and intravenous administration of parabens was not acutely or chronically toxic. Additional studies and reports found that parabens can be irritative and produce more chronic reactions, especially in more sensitive individuals (Calafat AM). Despite these reports, studies conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report that parabens as nonreactive and nonallergic (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition).
Biomonitoring information has shown that the greatest paraben exposure is methyl, propyl, and butyl. Gathered data shows that geometric mean paraben levels are highest in over the age of 60 years old in all genders and races which can be interpreted as an accumulation of parabens systemically with age, as well as potential environmental exposure, such as cosmetics, pharmaceutical and so on. The same biomonitoring study stated that females had three times higher adjusted geometric mean levels of methyl paraben and seven times higher adjusted geometric mean levels ofn-propyl paraben than males (Calafat AM, CDC).
In regard to correlation between female paraben exposure and health implications, parabens have been linked to poor reproductive health in women and postulated that parabens are linked to the increase in breast cancer rates amongst women. Despite parabens being ‘hormone disruptors’, these chemicals have weak estrogenic activity, but can still have an impact on the menstrual cycle due to increasing exposure and accumulation within body tissues, such as adipose tissue. In terms of breast cancer, no definitive causal relationship can be established. Parabens are hydrophobic molecules and have an affinity for adipose tissue, which is present in higher quantities n breast tissue, but there is no definitive evidence for the theory that paraben accumulation in breast tissue can exacerbate tumor cell growth (Hager E.).
With increasing exposure to parabens in our modern world, more individuals are concerned regarding disruption of our endocrine system, including sex hormones. While the FDA claims that the use of parabens is needed due to their antibacterial properties, they have not made any comments on their implications on human health.
Citations:
Calafat AM, Ye X, Wong L-Y, Bishop AM, Needham LL. Urinary concentrations of four parabens in the U.S. population: 2005-2006. Environ Health Perspect 2010;118:679-85.
Hager E, Chen J, Zhao L. Minireview: Parabens Exposure and Breast Cancer.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(3):1873. Published 2022 Feb 8. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031873
Parabens and Their Implications on Health
Parabens are man- made chemicals that are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetic products and personal care products, including makeup, moisturizers, and deodorants, and even foods and medications. The most common parabens include methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, CDC).
There is a controversy on the health risks related to paraben exposure. In regard to topical application of parabens, parabens with shorter chains- such as methylparaben- have a deeper penetration than parabens with longer chains, like butyl paraben. Enzymes in the skin break down parabens to the primary structure, known as para- hydroxybenzoic acid (PBHA). Animal studies have found that oral and intravenous administration of parabens was not acutely or chronically toxic. Additional studies and reports found that parabens can be irritative and produce more chronic reactions, especially in more sensitive individuals (Calafat AM). Despite these reports, studies conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report that parabens as nonreactive and nonallergic (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition).
Biomonitoring information has shown that the greatest paraben exposure is methyl, propyl, and butyl. Gathered data shows that geometric mean paraben levels are highest in over the age of 60 years old in all genders and races which can be interpreted as an accumulation of parabens systemically with age, as well as potential environmental exposure, such as cosmetics, pharmaceutical and so on. The same biomonitoring study stated that females had three times higher adjusted geometric mean levels of methyl paraben and seven times higher adjusted geometric mean levels of n-propyl paraben than males (Calafat AM, CDC).
In regard to correlation between female paraben exposure and health implications, parabens have been linked to poor reproductive health in women and postulated that parabens are linked to the increase in breast cancer rates amongst women. Despite parabens being ‘hormone disruptors’, these chemicals have weak estrogenic activity, but can still have an impact on the menstrual cycle due to increasing exposure and accumulation within body tissues, such as adipose tissue. In terms of breast cancer, no definitive causal relationship can be established. Parabens are hydrophobic molecules and have an affinity for adipose tissue, which is present in higher quantities n breast tissue, but there is no definitive evidence for the theory that paraben accumulation in breast tissue can exacerbate tumor cell growth (Hager E.).
With increasing exposure to parabens in our modern world, more individuals are concerned regarding disruption of our endocrine system, including sex hormones. While the FDA claims that the use of parabens is needed due to their antibacterial properties, they have not made any comments on their implications on human health.
Citations:
Calafat AM, Ye X, Wong L-Y, Bishop AM, Needham LL. Urinary concentrations of four parabens in the U.S. population: 2005-2006. Environ Health Perspect 2010;118:679-85.
CDC. “Parabens | Biomonitoring Summary.” Biomonitoring Summary: Parabens , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 Apr. 2017, www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Parabens_BiomonitoringSummary.html.
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Parabens in Cosmetics.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, 25 Feb. 2022, www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/parabens-cosmetics#:~:text=Preservatives%20may%20be%20used%20in,propylparaben%2C%20butylparaben%2C%20and%20ethylparaben.
Hager E, Chen J, Zhao L. Minireview: Parabens Exposure and Breast Cancer. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(3):1873. Published 2022 Feb 8. doi:10.3390/ijerph19031873