Parabens

Parabens are a family of preservatives derived from benzoic acid – a naturally occurring compound that can be found in apples, cinnamon and most berries. Parabens have been added to food, cosmetics and medicines since the 1920s and are found listed on cosmetic labels as methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butylparaben. They may also appear in their salt form, listed on labels as sodium methylparaben, for example.

Parabens – and indeed all preservatives – are added to any formulation containing water (listed as on a label) to kill or inhibit the growth of pathogens. This is crucial to our safety because bacteria not only spoils cosmetics (mould brewing in your favourite cream cleanser, for example), but for instance, a particularly nasty bug that can cause blindness. In 2008, hospital patients in Barcelona contracted life-threatening infections from a lotion found to be infected with . While that product was withdrawn from use, it’s clear that correctly preserving our cosmetics remains vital for safety (Liz herself does not use any water-based products that are unpreserved).