Paraben

There are cases for and against parabens, but you won’t find them in natural beauty buys. “Parabens are preservatives that prevent the product from going off and producing mould and bacteria,” explains Annabelle. “While still commonly used today, a study done more than 10 years ago found traces of parabens in the breasts of a number of females suffering breast cancer, so as a measure of precaution, we avoid them.” The flipside is that this study didn’t examine whether parabens were also present in healthy bodies. Experts recommend erring on the side of caution by trying to use beauty products that are paraben-free.