There are plenty of people who are simply unaware that most of our big brand name skin care and anti aging products contain ingredients that are at best suspect, and at worst quite frightening. Particularly the ingredient known as paraben, and that's why you want paraben free products when you buy your moisturizers, face creams, body lotions, anti aging creams and all those other anti aging skin care products you probably have in the cupboard right now.

How could it possibly be that there are suspect or downright dangerous ingredients in your skin care products? Aren't they regulated by the FDA? The short answer is no. The cosmetics and anti aging and skin care companies don't need to demonstrate to the FDA that their products are safe, (and they also don't need to supply proof that they do anything either, so many don't work!)

So there are many ingredients in skin care products and cosmetics, including paraben, that are not considered safe and some which are even "known to cause cancer."

So what is paraben and why would you want to make sure you're buying paraben free products before you buy your skin care products?

Paraben is a chemical. Actually it should really be parabens, because there are a number of chemicals grouped under the name paraben. This group of chemicals is widely used as preservatives in a range of products, including cosmetics and skin care and anti aging products and some pharmaceuticals. And also some shampoos, toothpastes, shaving gels and cleansing gels and even as food additives as preservatives.

However there many who now object to their use in our foods and cosmetics and more.

Why do some object to the use of Parabens? And why should you try and make sure that you buy paraben free products? Because studies are showing some concerning results from the use of paraben. For example a study has recently shown that paraben has been found in samples of breast cancer tissue. And other studies on animals have shown that paraben can act as a hormone.

And other studies have suggested it causes allergic reactions and skin rashes.

There is a debate raging about it, and of course the cosmetics industry maintain that paraben is safe for use as a preservative as it hasn't been shown conclusively to be unsafe. Of course you'd expect them to say that, because paraben is a good preservative, and it's cheap.

However I ask you, are you prepared to be consuming a product that studies have suggested cause cancer? (And make no mistake, if you rub a face cream or moisturizer on and it disappears you have, in effect, consumed it.)

Or would you prefer that paraben was conclusively proven to be safe before it was used in our skin care products?

There is, in effect, a huge experiment going on with all of us. Paraben is being used extensively in our products, particularly skin care and anti aging products and cosmetics, and if it turns out that the studies are right and it's carcinogenic it's too late for many of us.

Can you see a reason to buy paraben free products now? I, for one, can.

So to answer the question, what is paraben. It's a preservative used in many of our skin care products that is suspected of causing cancer. And for anyone using mainstream big brand name cosmetics and anti aging products you're all part of a huge study that may show paraben, (and lots of other skincare ingredients) to be quite unsafe for us. Too late I hear you cry.

Next question, is it possible to buy paraben free products? Can you find skin care and anti aging products that are guaranteed not to contain paraben? You bet you can. But not from the big name companies you may be buying from now.