Parabens

I was shopping for soap the other day and I noticed a "Paraben Free" label. Generally when you see a @$# Free on something that first part is bad. So paraben's must be bad, right? I thought I would do a little research to figure out what exactly parabens are. So I Googled "paraben free" (that's right, after years of college courses on research, this is the level I've sunk to! (and yes I did end that sentence with a preposition!)). What I found is that parabens are chemicals that are added to cosmetics and personal care items as preservatives. They help extend the shelf life and prevent mold and fungus from growing in the products. This part is good, but that bad part is that parabens are estrogen mimics which is a bad thing. Estrogen mimics are bad for your body because they throw your hormones out of whack, but also because they have been shown to cause cancer. One article I read said that there are conflicting studies on this fact, but just like the article said, better safe than sorry! So here is a start if you're looking for paraben free products!