Good afternoon all! Boy, I've been having a bit of blog withdrawl lately. I have been spending my days hunched over my computer, analyzing numbers and trying to creatively say the same thing in different ways. I am working on two business plans, in addition to all the other business things on my plate and finding that my ability to put words together into a cohesive sentence is diminishing by the day. Isn't it supposed to work the other way - the more I write, the more words I have? Not happening for me.
Anyway, in my writings, I've been going on about the difference between Tiber River products and other products. One distinguishing component of our products, as compared with many other body care products, are the preservatives we use. Since I started selling my products way back in 1999, I have used Potassium sorbate instead of the parabens more commonly found in lotions, body washes, shampoos, etc.
Parabens are a concern in products for two reasons: 1) so many people tend to react to them and 2) the uncertainty surrounding its cause/effect with breast cancer. Studies have shown parabens to be present in very low does in breast cancer tumors and while this may be the case, it has yet to be proven conclusively that they are a cause of the cancer. According to Wikipedia, "average levels of 20 nanograms/gram of parabens have been detected in a small sample of 20 breast tumors. These findings, along with the demonstrated ability of some parabens to partially mimic estrogen, a hormone known to play a role in the development of breast cancers, have led some scientists to conclude that the presence of parabens may be associated with the occurrence of breast cancer, and to call for investigation into whether or not a causal link exists. The lead researcher of the UK study, molecular biologist Philippa Darbre, reported that the ester-bearing form of the parabens found in the tumors indicate that they came from something applied to the skin, such as an underarm deodorant, cream or body spray, and stated that the results helped to explain why up to 60% of all breast tumors are found in just one-fifth of the breast - the upper-outer quadrant, nearest the underarm. "From this research it is not possible to say whether parabens actually caused these tumors, but they may certainly be associated with the overall rise in breast cancer cases. Given that breast cancer is a large killer of women and a very high percentage of young women use underarm deodorants, I think we should be carrying out properly funded, further investigations into parabens and where they are found in the body," says Philip Harvey, an editor of the Journal of Applied Toxicology which published the research."
As I'm sure many of you know, I'm not one to jump on the "it causes cancer" bandwagon. However, after having reviewed the studies mentioned, I can tell you I'm going to be looking VERY closely at any products I have at home to see if they contain any parabens. Knowing so many women with breast cancer, especially younger women with no history of it in their families, I want to do my best to stay away from products that contain them.
I think more information is needed regarding this link. It seems to be a substantial one and hopefully, some of the money that has been raised for breast cancer will go towards narrowing down some causes of it. I, for one, would love to know how to better protect myself.
The good news is that companies like Tiber River are offering us all products that do not contain these types of ingredients. You can find alumninum free deodorants, paraben free hair and body products, and even home cleaning products that reduce the amount of harmful chemicals we are exposed to.
I wish you all a healthy week!
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