Parabens – friends or foes?

During the last decade there has been an increase in consumer awareness with regard to chemicals used in everyday life. To this effect the pressure from consumers, pressure groups, media institutions and governments around the world has increased significantly on the safety of certain groups of raw materials used in personal care and cosmetic formulations. Fragrances, dyes, preservatives, surfactants and even naturally derived materials such as those of the tea tree have come under scrutiny or so-called attack. The evolving technology and techniques now employed in evaluating the toxicology of existing materials means that the safety of many raw materials is being scrutinised, reassessed and in some cases banned from use by regulatory and safety authorities.