Paraben-Free Cosmetics You Should Know [Infographic]

Beauty products are becoming more advanced as we speak. But they’re also becoming more sophisticated and hard to understand. With so many cosmetic brands (finally) listening to what consumers want, we’re getting more beauty products designed for us. Yay! That means cosmetics are now available in gluten-, paraben-, fragrance-, and sulfates free. But why should we care?

Parabens are nothing new. In fact, they’ve been used in cosmetics since the ‘30s as a way to keep beauty products from catching bacteria, fungi, and mold. Parabens are found in everything from shampoo and body cleansers to serums and foundations.

The controversy around parabens dates back to 2004 when a British study found traces of five different parabens in breast cancer tissue samples. You can see how these findings sparked panic among consumers. However, there wasn’t enough evidence to prove a direct link between parabens and the increased risk of cancer. What the study did, was prove that parabens indeed were able to pass through the skin barrier and into our bodies. That by itself is alarming enough.

With little evidence to prove their safety or their harm, some cosmetics brands decided to stay away from parabens. Nowadays, you can find a list of paraben-free cosmetics companies backed by the Breast Cancer Action Organization. These are some of the most popular ones in the beauty aisles today.

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1. 100% Pure

If you’re looking for a squeaky clean cosmetics line, you’ve found it. Their makeup features natural pigments derived from fruit dyes. If you look at any of their products, you’ll only see real, easy-to-pronounce ingredients we all know like avocado butter and raspberry.

2. Afterglow Cosmetics

When you research this cosmetics line, you might find it shocking that they list over 20 toxic and harmful chemicals they DON’T use, including parabens of course. They use the highest level of purity and natural ingredients in their products. Their brand ethics extend to offering fragrance-, gluten-, and soy-free products. They are also vegan and cruelty-free. Can it get more transparent than that?

3. Juice Beauty

Focusing on natural and organic beauty products, this makeup brand features plant-derived pigments that everyone loves. A lot of their products are also paraben-, gluten-, and cruelty-free. Not to mention, they’re also vegan. They’re the perfect example of how technology has helped the beauty industry become cleaner and health-conscious.

4. Ilia

Founded as an all-natural beauty brand, Ilia aims to make natural skincare and makeup products the norm within the industry, not another trend. All of their products are cruelty-free, and they’re formulated without, parabens, sulfates, GMOs, talc, gluten, synthetic fragrances, and phthalates. Ilia products do contain preservatives, however, they’re derived from an organic compound found in flowers.

5. RMS

For over ten years, RMS Beauty has offered clean products. Their extensive list of natural ingredients includes many considered Certified Organic ingredients. By being transparent about every ingredient used in their products, RMS Beauty aims to make the beauty industry more conscious about the ingredients used in products. All their cosmetics are non-GMO, soy-, gluten-, and cruelty-free. They also make a conscious effort to recycle, with boxes made out of 80% post-consumer recycled fiber and manufactured using 100% wind power.