What are parabens?

Parabens are organic substances, esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. They are non-irritating, have no carcinogenic effects (a carcinogen is a substance that causes or aids in the cancerous growth of cells), but can cause allergic reactions in some individuals.

They are used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries as preservatives, resp. antimicrobials or additives to prevent the presence of micro-organisms or fungi in the product or food and to prevent spoilage of the medicinal product, cosmetics or foodstuffs and damage to the patient's or consumer's body.

Parabens have a specific, pleasant scent that is dominant in pharmacies when they enter.

Methylparaben and propylparaben are part of the pharmacopoeial preparation Aqua conservans, a preservative water that is used in a wide range of so-called magistraliter (individually prepared medicinal products), ensuring their shelf life for a specified time, unlike products without antimicrobials.
These substances also occur in nature, eg in blueberries, but also in other plants and also in insects.

In order to make the use of parabens safe for humans, the concentration is determined, for example, for cosmetic products, where the sum of the contained parabens does not exceed 0.19%.

Many cosmetic products contain, among other things, information on whether parabens are part of them. This information is especially important for people with a proven allergy to parabens and for patients with skin diseases and an increased tendency to allergic reactions.

Parabens have desirable effects, are to some extent irreplaceable, and in addition to the above, there is no need to have increased concerns about their use.