Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetic products. Chemically, parabens are esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The most common parabens used in cosmetic products are methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. Typically, more than one paraben is used in a product, and they are often used in combination with other types of preservatives to provide preservation against a broad range of microorganisms. The use of mixtures of parabens allows the use of lower levels while increasing preservative activity. - FDA

Parabens are chemical preservatives that have been identified as estrogenic and disruptive of normal hormone function. (Estrogenic chemicals mimic the function of the naturally occurring hormone estrogen, and exposure to external estrogens has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer.) -thinkbeforeyoupink.org

One widely used group of synthetic chemicals, parabens (alkyl-p-hydroxybenzoates), are used as antimicrobial preservatives in more than 13,000 cosmetic products. The Environmental Protection Agency states that all parabens -- methyl, propyl, butyl -- have been proved to interfere with the function of the endocrine system, and these endocrine disruptors are stored in our body's fatty tissues. The Center for Children's Health and the Environment at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York says endocrine disruptors have been suspected of contributing to reproductive and developmental disorders, learning problems and immune system dysfunction in children. - San Francisco Chronicle

Preservative chemicals found in samples of breast tumours probably came from underarm deodorants, UK scientists have claimed. Their analysis of 20 breast tumours found high concentrations of para-hydroxybenzoic acids (parabens) in 18 samples. Parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. The preservatives are used in many cosmetics and some foods to increase their shelf-life."From this research it is not possible to say whether parabens actually caused these tumours, but they may certainly be associated with the overall rise in breast cancer cases," says Philip Harvey, an editor of the Journal of Applied Toxicology, which published the research. "Given that breast cancer is the largest killer of women and a very high percentage of young women use underarm deodorants, I think we should be carrying out properly funded, further investigations into parabens and where they are found in the body," Harvey told New Scientist. - NewScientist.org

Chenery says, "Parabens are widely used preservatives in deodorants, and they are found in 90 per cent of breast tumours. One study on a woman's breast milk found 300 new chemicals that weren't around 50 years ago. To discover how permeable your skin is, rub your feet with cut garlic; you'll breathe it out of your mouth 20 minutes later."

The chemicals found in many mass market cosmetics are permissible because the cosmetics industry is self-regulated. The government does not require human health studies for cosmetic and other personal care products before they are sold. The EWG says that 94 per cent of skincare ingredients in cosmetics haven't been tested for human safety. "
- Sunday Telegraph (Australia) November 5, 2006