Hi All,
I wanted to respond to the question about Parabens and why CND uses them. Parabens are probably the very safest preservative and most widely used cosmetic preservatives in the world. Parabens have a very long history of safe use and an excellent safety profile. Most of what you hear about them is based on rumors and myths.
Nowadays, ,it seems like there’s a group, somewhere that’s against just about everything you can name. One of the downsides of the Internet is, it gives paranoid people with incorrect information, a very loud voice.
Rumors about started because Parabens are chemically “similar” to estrogen. So some fearfully theorized that exposure to Parabens can cause hormonal imbalances which may lead to breast cancer. This was never proven, it was simply a concern. This concern has been refuted and shown not to be true. Although parabens “can” mimic estrogen, studies have showed they are about 100,000 times weaker than natural estrogen and far too weak to have any effect in the human body. To my knowledge, not a single person has ever been harmed by Parabens and millions of people are exposed to Parabens every day. If they were dangerous, we know by now. Not to mention the fact that these ingredients have been thoroughly tested for safety, as required by the EU, United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and just about every other major country in the world.
Groups that spread this type of misinformation hope that you don’t understand that there is a very big difference between “can” and “will”. They act like those two words mean the same thing and they do not. I can be stung by a killer bee, but that doesn’t make me afraid to take my dog for a walk. If it did, I would be foolish and overly paranoid.
Sadly, there are many activist groups out there who don’t look at the whole picture. They find a factiod that frightens them, so they spread their irrational fear to you and me. They don’t look at the issue scientifically or critically, instead they respond emotionally. My advice, don’t listen to Internet rumors, rely on scientists to sort out the facts and ensure your safety.
If Parabens were dangerous, CND would not use them. We use them because, 1. Parabens have a very long history of safe use and 2. Parabens prevent the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms in our products and improve shelf-life.
Finally, I wanted to comment on an earlier post which correctly stated that there are “chemicals in our food”. Actually, all food is 100% chemicals, so is the air we breathe and the water we drank. Here’s the definition for “chemicals” found in my book, Nail Structure & Product Chemistry, Second Edition. Everything you can see or touch, except light and electricity is a chemical! If everything is 100% chemicals, you shouldn’t be afraid, just because it’s “chemical”. Your children are 100% chemicals. This is another way that some groups frighten people. They pretend that chemicals are dangerous. The vast majority of chemicals you will come in contact in your life are absolutely safe. Don’t be fooled by these tactics, be educated.
I hope this information was useful,
Doug Schoon
Chief Scientific Adviser
CND
