More Truth About Parabens

According to recent studies, new data suggests no adverse hormonal effect on the body. According to the article,

“While parabens have been used safely and effectively in skin care products for more than 70 years, the potential harmful effects of preservatives in products, including parabens, has come under scrutiny lately.

Once you add water to any skin care formula, it must be preserved to prevent it from becoming infected with bacteria. Although it could look okay and smell okay, it still could be full of bacteria and if you were to apply it to your skin, you run the risk of a serious infection. Parabens act as a preservative preventing contamination and bacterial growth.

Also of concern is the possible estrogenic effect of parabens applied to the skin. A recent study confirmed that regardless of what paraben is applied on the skin, any that is absorbed is fully metabolized before entering the bloodstream. The metabolized or breakdown product, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), is not known to estrogenic effect. In short, parabens applied to the skin are metabolized rapidly and do not exhibit any adverse effects. It has also been shown that PHBA is a necessary building block for co-enzyme Q, an essential enzyme which is found in heart muscle and skin.

Although extensive research has gone into searching for a natural preservative, one as effective as patabens has not been found. Parabens used in cosmetics are chemically identical to parabens in nature. In the pland worlk, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and its derivatives are commonly found in various vegetables such as barley (meaning parabens are found in bread), strawberries, black currants, peaches, carrots, onions, cocoa beans, vanilla, corn and flax seed oils. Additionally, parabens are found in foods prepared using fruit juices, grapes, yeast extract, wine vinegar, and cheeses. In an article in the Journal of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, food accounts for about 10 times the exposure to parabens than the average skin care and cosmetic product usage.”

If this article doesn’t clear the air for the poor parabens, than I don’t know what could. It’s too bad that such a wonderful preservative has gotten such a bad reputation for so long, when all they have been doing this whole time is keeping us safe and healthy.

To the Paraben!

Eating Your Way to More Youthful Skin?

Today on the NewBeauty Blog they published an article about the benefits of caloric restriction on the aging process.

Here are their findings,

Eating less may have more advantages than just weight loss. According to a recent research, restricting your calorie intake could lessen the signs of aging, too.

When study volunteers consumed 300 to 500 fewer calories each day for a year, Saint Louis University researchers found that they had decreased T3 production. T3, or triiodothyronine, is a thyroid hormone that, when decreased, slows metabolism and, consequently, tissue aging.

Interestingly, another group of participants who ate the same but burned comparable calories by exercising had no decrease in the T3. Only those who consumed healthier or less food experienced hormonal anti-aging benefits.

That’s not to say that exercising doesn’t have its age-fighting benefits—it definitely does. But in terms of T3-related aging, a reduced-calorie diet is the way to go.

Thanks for the heads up, NewBeauty!

We will definitely be watching what we eat a little more carefully.

The Truth about Parabens

Recently there has been an outrageous amount of contempt, fear, hatred, and confusion surrounding the common preservatives found in cosmetics, better known as parabens.

We personally, have had clients refuse and return certain items after learning they contained such parabens.

Although this controversy did stem from scientific research, the facts, the bigger picture, and more importantly the weight it bears on the cosmetic industry are of utmost importance.

So please, allow me to clarify.

According to futurederm,

“Controversy over parabens began largely in the late 1990′s, due to the suggestions that parabens bind to estrogen receptors in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and rat uteri {after oral administration of parabens}. It was also suggested that parabens upregulate estrogenic gene expression in human breast cancer cells, yeast cells, and in in vivo fish. Studies with immature mice and rats showed that subjection to parabens decreased uterine weight. It was finally suggested that parabens increased breast cancer cell proliferation, and parabens were found in breast tumor samples… With regards to the parabens found in breast tumors, it sounds scary, but it is reassuring to know that no studies have shown that parabens are found in higher concentration in breast tumor samples than any other type of human body tissue.”

They continue,

“In 2007, a French study reopened speculation against parabens when it suggested that parabens may accumulate in tissues over time. In the study, a realistic amount (0.45 mg) of parabens was applied to the skin’s surface every 12 hours for 36 hours. It was found that repeated applications every 12 hours increased quantities of parabens moving across the skin barrier for the first 24 hours. However, the results also showed that parabens applied to the skin had no cumulative effect 36 hours later, suggesting that parabens do not accumulate in the skin at all after one and a half days. As such, parabens in skin care products do not accumulate in tissues after 36 hours, and thereby should not pose a risk for the lifetime skin care product user.”

In this month’s DaySpa Magazine, they highlighted this exact issue, saying,

“You and your clients can stop worrying- lipstick is safe. Parabens, which are commonly used in cosmetics as a preservative, are unlikely to pose a health risk, according to a study presented at the Scandanavian Society of Cosmetic Chemists in Sweden. Consumer groups have expressed concerns in the past that parabens may affect the body’s reproductive and hormonal systems. However, the study’s data suggest that they’re fully metabolized before they enter the bloodstream, and that they’re only partially absorbed when applied to the skin. Tests did indicate the presence of a broken-down paraben in the body called PHBA, but that compound is also widely found in plants and food. Trace exposure is not believed to pose a risk to humans. The study was performed at the request of Sweden’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety.”

So now we can all rest easy and keep on using our favorite products.

The Five Anti-Aging Theories

Recently, NewBeauty Magazine published an article about five different anti-aging theories. We found it pretty darn interesting, and thought you might as well.

In the fight against aging, most of us need all the help we can get. The following are the five theories anti-aging experts attribute to its causes, amplification, and prevention:

1. Inflammation

The activation of the immune system- due to an infection, allergen, or toxin- leads to internal inflammation at the cellular level. Poor nutrition, too little sleep, and radiation are common culprits of low-grade inflammation, which has been linked to arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.

2. Lifestyle

What we eat (too much sugar, fat, and sodium), drink (too much soda, juice, etc), do (get overstressed, work too much), don’t do (exercise or sleep enough), and what we expose ourselves to can speed up the aging process and the development of chronic diseases.

3. Hormones

Levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, thyroid and/or human growth hormone drop as we age. But by increasing these all-important biochemicals, it may be possible to improve health and forestall the aging process. A controversial approach, hormone therapy, requires oversight by an experienced physician.

4. Antioxidants

Call it the “rusting theory”. As we get older, we’re subject to oxidative stress, the byproduct of free-radical damage, a natural process in which unstable molecules disrupt cell and tissue functioning. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E, glutathione and alpha lipoic acid can help protect cells.

5. Detoxification

When the body can’t rid itself of toxins, including high amounts of sugar, trans fat, mercury, and chemicals we ingest from our food, its equilibrium is impaired, leading to fatigue, poor skin, heart disease, cancer and more. Detoxification and inflammation are closely linked.