By now if you’ve been snooping around beauty products for quite a bit, you’ve heard the buzzwords paraben-free and sulfate-free. Let’s start off with what those two chemicals are, let’s begin with paraben between the two choices. Now why do you want a paraben-free beauty product? Paraben is a preservative often found in deodorants, lotions, lipsticks and much more, the reason it is scary is because there have been insinuations that paraben mimics the hormone estrogen, which has been linked to cancer. As of now this has yet to be proved, at the very least not decisively, but for those who are careful and rightfully so, they prefer paraben-free products. As for Sulfate, can be found in shampoos, toothpaste and other washes, it causes many products to foam, so if you are using a beauty product that foams, chances are it is not sulfate-free. People are concerned about sulfates as it breaks down proteins in your body and can lead to rather degenerative states or issues for the body, which in turn shall turn into a disease.

Well that’s pretty much the reason why people are looking towards a paraben-free and sulfate-free house, and not that I am a doomsayer or anything like that but if you can avoid something like that, why not right? Let’s go over a quick list as to why you should choose a paraben-free or sulfate-free product, just to see what you can benefit from it.

You won’t miss a thing – Paraben-free products are pretty easy to find, one of the nice things about it is that you won’t miss having paraben in your hair or other items. Paraben does not benefit the hair in any way, so honestly why even risk having it there?

Avoid any chances of the big C – Cancer is a cause of concern for a lot of people and while again, paraben has yet to be confirmed as directly linked to cancer, why risk it if at all possible? If there are options that allow you to avoid it, I don’t see what the problem is of choosing the safer option, so why not give that shampoo or beauty product a good old try?

Reduce the chance of irritation – No not the irritation from a neighbor or a co-worker, just kidding, I’m talking about skin irritation. If by some chance you have a rather sensitive skin issue or scalp even, then ideally you need to get a sulfate-free product, as it has been known to cause mild to harsh irritations. True most shampoos that are not sulfate-free are available over the counter but not everyone can use them, so perhaps you should start thinking about that as well.

Retain that shine – While sulfate does help remove build up in your hair, it also damages the hair follicles and can really prove to reduce moisture and the natural oils. It is ideal to use a sulfate-free product for your hair in order to make sure that you have a nice full set of locks well into your eighties, who wouldn’t want that right?

Save the liver (and maybe other organs too) – Studies have shown that sulfate, if exposed to it for long periods of time, can get absorbed into the liver and that’s not good for many reasons. Aside from hormonal issues, it could really do a number on your body so go for the sulfate-free product if given the option.

Always make it a habit to check the label on the bath and body products you use. Even on makeup!

There are a few more other benefits to using a sulfate-free and paraben-free product, but I think I’ve made my point so far. Let’s go even one further and give you some little known tips to avoid these rather tricky chemicals, it never hurts to have a few little tips under your sleeve after all.

Read the label – Seriously, develop this habit, this can save you a ton of pain and avoid a bucket load of diseases. When you start reading the labels and finding out what exactly you are consuming, you become a smart consumer, not only will you get paraben-free and sulfate-free products, but you’ll be able to avoid a lot more. Companies are mandated to share what ingredients they use for all their products, sure there are tricks to avoid full coverage, perhaps tweaking the recipe and what not but in the end if the consumer is smart, that person will be able to quickly catch these problems.

Know what to avoid – Sure getting paraben-free and sulfate-free products is a great start, begin off there and work your way up. Thankfully with the dawn of technology, researching chemicals or ingredients in whatever label you are reading is just a few clicks away. All you need to do is actually take the time to do it, again if you really want to be safe, become a smart shopper and a smarter consumer, this will in turn force companies to start turning towards more natural and organic material, which will really help everyone in the long run.

Research and more research – It never hurts to know more, and quite frankly with the ever-growing technology at the palm of our hands, with the dawn of smart phones it literally is in our hands, all you need to do is tap your screen. Anyhow there are even sites now that offer a full list of paraben-free and sulfate-free products, these have been researched and shared for all to know, it makes it really useful and very handy to use. Again a smart consumer, is a safe consumer and if that’s the case you really, really, really want to be a smart consumer.

Gather your own opinion – In the end a paraben-free or sulfate-free product is only as good as your own experience. Don’t let other people’s feedback sway you, as it is always different for every person. What could work for Bob, might not work for Sheila and so forth. So just because someone swears on a paraben-free product or sulfate-free shampoo, doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best product out there for you. Sure give it a try and see if the results are alright for you, remember that everything changes depending on who you are, what you do and so forth, not everything can be copied to make a mirror image result.

When in doubt go natural – Assuming the paraben-free and sulfate-free products are a little too scary for you, look for the natural stuff that will work just as good. There is always an organic or natural product out there that is pretty much free or at least less riddled with chemicals than the standard over the counter options, if the cost is the same, go for it, it wouldn’t hurt you to start going down the safe road every now and again.

And now you have a rather exhaustive list of information regarding paraben-free and sulfate-free beauty products, I’d say you are pretty much set on your fight for safety. Stay healthy!