COSMETICS

摘要

In 2004, journalists and consumers got in a spin over chemical preservatives called parabens. when a study suggested that parabens were present in 20 breast cancer tissue samples, and linked the disease to cosmetics such as deodorants (Journal of Applied Toxicology, vol 24, p 5). This sparked a long-running debate about the safety of parabens. But evidence that links them to breast cancer has been elusive, and regulatory bodies, including the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Union's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety maintain that, although parabens are thought to disrupt the endocrine system, the low doses in cosmetics are safe. What's more, most underarm deodorants don't contain parabens.