Paraben-free beauty is rising and rising - but what actually are they and why don’t we want them anywhere near our skin?

“Parabens are used as preservatives in cosmetics,” beauty writer and reiki practitioner Giselle La Pompe-Moore explains.

“There are concerns that this group of ingredients can disrupt the endocrine system (that’s the group of glands in your body that make hormones) as they’re said to mimic estrogen and can also irritate the skin.

Of course, preservatives are important in cosmetics but while the industry comes to a definitive conclusion on the safety of parabens, I look out for paraben-free products or lower concentrations where possible.

I’m also very mindful about greenwashing, so if the product is paraben-free I’ll check to see what alternatives they’re using in case what they’re replacing it with is worse.”

The good news is they’re easy enough to avoid - bareMinerals BarePro lipsticks are totally paraben free, as well as vegan.

5 ingredients beauty experts avoid