You’re likely very conscious of, if not meticulous about, everything that you consume — media, food, beverages, supplements and so forth. But did you know that everything that you apply to your skin can also affect your beauty and health? Think about it — topical medicines are effective because they soak into the bloodstream via the skin. The same is true for some skincare products. Though most products don’t get past the outermost layer, some can effectively enter your bloodstream. This includes parabens.

What are parabens?

Para-what? First things first. What even are parabens? Good question. They’re a form of preservatives that are used to prolong the shelf lives of numerous health and beauty products, from moisturizers to foundations. They work to disallow mold from forming in the product bottles, so that the products can last for months or even years without spoiling.

Just as parabens stick around in products, they also stay in your body — and in time, they can enter and dwell in your system’s tissue. Parabens have been noted to cause horrendous health issues for many people. This can lead to potentially negative side effects, including diseases.

The potential health risks

The most common side effect of using beauty products containing paraben is as non-threatening as skin irritation. But it makes sense to question their safety. When parabens are in the tissue, they’re active. And they’re not always rooting for your well-being. Parabens are believed to disrupt hormone function by mimicking the female hormone estrogen. Having too much estrogen in the body can lead to reproductive risk, an increase in breast cell division, and possibly even the growth of tumors. However, there’s not enough research to connect the use of paraben cosmetics with a higher chance of serious harm.

If you’d rather play it safe, luckily there’s a growing number of paraben-free products out there that are just as effective.

Why we go beyond “no parabens”

When we say we’re “exceptionally clean,” we mean it. Parabens, sulfates, and silicones are the most common no-no ingredients many beauty brands ban. But our list of restricted ingredients goes beyond the basics because we want you to feel confident about what you’re putting on your skin. Every single Ghost Democracy product is also free of essential oils, drying oils, fragrance, phthalates, mineral oils, synthetic dyes, propylene glycol, formaldehyde, MEA, DEA, TEA, PEG compounds, aminomethyl propanol, or EDTA. Plus, we’re cruelty-free and vegan, and never test on animals.