The Great Paraben Debate

Covering the health and beauty industry, I’m often overwhelmed by the amount of conflicting information that crosses my desk. For years, I’ve been hearing about the dangers of parabens, commonly used preservatives found in a host of spa products. Wanting to understand this complicated issue, we asked Ahmed Abdullah, M.D., F.A.C.S., CEO of the aloe-based skincare line, Lexli International, and Meaghan Cochrane, public relations and marketing representative at Eminence Organic Skin Care, to weigh in on the controversial issue. Their arguments for and against parabens can be found in our latest issue in “Paraben Paradox.” Now, we’d like to hear your thoughts. What do you think about the use of parabens? Are they a danger to your clients’ health or just another harmless, yet necessary, ingredient?