This week, the Ingredient of the Week is the family of chemicals known as the parabens.
Parabens are alkyl esters of para-hydroxybenzoic acid, and are of the general chemical structure shown above, where R represents an alkyl (hydrocarbon) group of variable carbon chain length. Referring to the structure above, commonly used parabens include methyl paraben (R= -CH3), ethyl paraben (R= -CH2CH3), propyl paraben (R= -(CH2)2CH3) and butyl paraben (R= -(CH2)3CH3).
Parabens are alkyl esters of para-hydroxybenzoic acid, and are of the general chemical structure shown above, where R represents an alkyl (hydrocarbon) group of variable carbon chain length. Referring to the structure above, commonly used parabens include methyl paraben (R= -CH3), ethyl paraben (R= -CH2CH3), propyl paraben (R= -(CH2)2CH3) and butyl paraben (R= -(CH2)3CH3).
Parabens are used as preservatives in many cosmetic and toiletry formulations. In recent years, they have become controversial, and have come under fire from environmental groups. It has become popular for consumers to look for "paraben-free" products. However, when I question people as to why they want to avoid parabens, I usually draw a blank look. So, let's take a closer look!






