NEVER MADEWITH

PARABENS

What PARABENS are

Parabens are chemical compounds used as preservatives in a wide range of products such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, and more.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM + WHY MADEWITH DOESN’T ALLOW THEM

Parabens are found in nearly every type of personal care/beauty product. Scientific studies suggest that parabens can increase cancer risk, disrupt hormones, and cause issues in fertility/reproductive organs. Skin irritation is also a concern. Some studies have found parabens in a majority of urine samples in U.S. adults.

WHERE THEY’RE BANNED OR RESTRICTED

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) banned the use of the following five parabens in cosmetics in 2015: 

  • Isopropylparaben
  • Isobutylparaben
  • Phenyl paraben
  • Benzylparaben
  • Ethylparaben

The same five parabens were also banned in the EU in 2015.

WHERE WE'RE GETTING OUR INFORMATION

[1] NIH. NCBI. Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumours. (2004). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14745841

[2]  Scientific American. (2014). https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/should-people-be-concerned-about-parabens-in-beauty-products

[3] European Commission. European Union REACH Act. Bans and restrictions on parabens. (2014). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1587322933480&uri=CELEX:32014R1004

[4] Chemical Watch. ASEAN Annex II to include ban on 5 parabens. (2015). https://www.hsa.gov.sg/docs/default-source/hprg-cosmetics/annexes-of-the-asean-cosmetic-directive-(updated-july-2019).pdf

[5] The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Oestrogenic activity of parabens in MCF7 human breast cancer cells. (2002). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960076001001741