If you’ve ever searched online for cosmetics or similar products, the term paraben is mentioned quite often. Brands are keen to show you that their products are free of these ingredients, but the truth is that many don’t know why. Most people buying Best Blue Lizard Australian Face Sunscreen won’t even know what a paraben is.
So, What Are Parabens?
Essentially, parabens represent a widely-used type of preservative that’s popular in not just the cosmetics industry, but also the world of pharmaceuticals. They come in a range of different formulas, created to serve a purpose in whatever product they’re used in.
You’ll find them in lubricants, tanning products, shaving gels, moisturizers, shampoos and even toothpastes. Further to that, the food industry uses them extensively.
For around 70 years now, the cosmetics industry has used parabens extensively, primarily because they’re non-sensitizing, gentle and able to preserve products effectively. According to the FDA, they’re safe, have great antimicrobial properties. All sounds great so far, right?
Parabens Aren’t Good For You Because….
The big problem with parabens is that they easily get absorbed by the skin and as such, remain in the body’s fluids and tissues. In fact, one of the main reasons why Blue Lizard Australian Face Sunscreen is popular with pregnant ladies is because parabens can find their way into breast milk and in turn, into the baby’s system.
In scientific terms, parabens are classified as ‘xenoestrogens’, which is a fancy way of saying that they mimic the natural production of estrogen hormones. This excessive hormonal activity is linked to increased breast cancer risk.
It’s Even More Pertinent For Sunscreen
As Blue Lizard Australian Face Sunscreen is free of parabens, it avoids another worrying aspect – the reality that they actually increase levels of skin cell damage that the sun’s UV rays are able to cause, meaning that they could elevate the risk of skin cancer.
Parabens are also known to sensitize the skin, which can lead to allergic reactions and conditions like dermatitis. It’s not hard to see why companies use parabens so much, as they ensure that their products remain viable for longer, but it’s the effect they can potentially have on the user that makes them something to avoid.
This Blue Lizard product, like their entire range, is mineral based too, meaning that it doesn’t get absorbed into the skin – making it even gentler to the skin.
Blue Lizard Australian Face Sunscreen Is Fragrance-Free Too!
Blue Lizard sunscreen is super gentle to the face, due in part to the fact that there’s no parabens in sight, but also because it also contains no fragrances at all.
While they may make sunscreen smell nice, fragranced ingredients that are used can cause irritation to sensitive skin and others dealing with other underlying skin issues.
Your face has to put up with a lot, no matter what season it is, so it’s important that it’s protected from the sun and other environmental factors.
A good quality sunscreen like this will do so and more besides, thanks to its mineral formula that simply reflects UV rays away from the surface of the skin, rather than having to be absorbed. It truly is a win-win, for anyone who values their skin health.