Toxic Thursday: Parabens

Each Thursday I’m going to discuss an ingredient that I think we should be avoiding in our beauty and skincare products. This is based on my own research and feelings, and many of you may have different opinions to me, which of course, is absolutely fine. It is so easy to get brainwashed - or greenwashed - into thinking some ingredients are 'greener' than others, and I think in order to avoid this we really need to understand what goes into our products and make rational, informed decisions. 

First up, I’m going to tackle the biggest and most controversial nasty in town, parabens. 

What are parabens? 

Parabens are a preservative used in the vast majority of conventional beauty and skin care products. They prevent bacterial and microbial growth and give everything in your beauty cabinet a long shelf life. The three most common used are methylparaben, ethylparaben and butylparaben. Parabens also weakly mimic the effects of the hormone estrogen and are also known as phytoestrogens. 

Guide to Essential Oils: Bergamot

Essential oils are something you’ll come across often when using natural or organic skin care and beauty, and the benefits of these ingredients can be countless. I personally love essential oils, and thought I’d put together a little guide over the next few months that takes a look at these in more detail. Having a basic understanding of essential oils means you can customise your own beauty routines and use what you know works best for you, whether that’s adding your own blend of oils to a bath for a luxurious pamper night, or adding a few drops to a tissue to help your confidence and focus during an exam or job interview.