Almost every day, we get questions about parabens….Yes, we no longer use them. Almost every body care company now markets their products as ‘paraben-free’ and ’sulphate-free.’
When I researched this a couple of years ago, a chemist told me he had done two years research and hadn’t come up with one legitimate study showing parabens to be more harmful than anything else….and that parabens are naturally occurring in things like grapefruit. This accounts for their being ubiquitous in our bodies. Personally, he felt that manufacturers of newer more expensive preservative systems were behind the drive to ban them, although they’ve apparently been used quite safely for decades.
However, we’ve moved away from parabens. Just in case! Recently, someone asked me about the label on a shampoo and conditioner from a small company that markets itself as ‘organic.’ I wasn’t wearing my reading glasses, and couldn’t read the shampoo label, but the conditioner listed, between a lot of nice herbal extracts, the word ‘dehydroacetic acid.’
It is a a pyrone derivative, fungicide and bacteriacide.
Inobviously, it’s the preservative. It wasn’t the last ingredient either! Also, seems to be used industrially as a ‘plasticizer’ and is basically, a “ketone.” This is the dreaded ingredient they’re trying to eliminate from nail polish remover!! In an ‘organic’ product??!!
The European Union has banned it, although it is listed as safe for use in the U.S. and Canada, but of course, so are parabens.
Sometime ago, I checked out a website on this, I forget which one, but the Dr. reporting believed that a truly 100% safe natural preservative that works just doesn’t exist yet!
Currently, we are using ‘gluconolactone’ which Skin Deep rates as a ‘1′ or ‘low hazard.’
Better still, MOST of Saltspring Soapworks products are made fresh, daily, in small batches, and sold by us, ourselves. No agents, distributors or big warehouses. So, our soaps and lots of our other products like bath salts and scrubs, just aren’t preserved and will last for months, and with soap, basically for years!
And, best of all, we are so small that every time a newer, better preservative becomes available, we will have it S.A.P.
Meanwhile, like I always say, “JUST READ THE LABEL!”
Linda
