Fashion
29 Paraben Free Self Care Products For Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome To Keep Your Hormones Healthy
So you've been diagnosed with PCOS, and you've been reading up on lifestyle changes for treatment of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and you keep hearing about avoiding parabens. You're probably wondering, "Uh, what are parabens?" And why do you even have to avoid them anyways?
Parabens are an endocrine-disrupting preservative that's really commonly found in self care items such as makeup, shampoo, cleansers, lotion, and pretty much everything else. The chemical mimics estrogen in the body, making things even more messed up for people with endocrine disorders like PCOS or who are going through menopause.
Although studies on parabens and breast cancer have left many questions unanswered, estrogenic activity is known to cause breast cancer, and parabens have been been found in breast cancer itself. The FDA is continuing to research the relationship between cancer and parabens, but its other effects on hormones are reason enough to stay away.
So how are you ever supposed to find paraben-free beauty and self-care products?
An increasing number of goodies are being produced without parabens due to consumer concerns. Sephora, for instance, is carrying paraben-free items and there are even some drugstore products you can buy without parabens, too. To make it a little easier on you, I rounded up a bunch: Both from new brands as well as shops and collections you might already be buying from. Click through for 29 products you can feel good about putting on your skin.
Image: Fotolia
Full Face
Facial Care Kit, $48, Meow Meow Tweet
Everything from this handmade vegan line is paraben-free, toxin-free, and you can get a whole facial care line for $84, which is practically a bargain. Also: All the packaging has adorable animal doodles on it.
Beautiful Brights
Charmed Shadow Palette, $17, Pacifica Beauty
Gorgeous color cosmetics, fresh fragrances, and affordable skincare from natural brand Pacifica are all vegan and paraben-free. Plus, they’re available at Target and many drugstores. Perf, right?
Mermaiden
Mermaid Hair Oils, $34, Captain Blanken Ship
Make like a goddess of the deep and nourish your locks naturally and without parabens. Captain Blankenship also makes facial care products, body products, and fragrances all free of parabens. Ahoy!
Piece Of Pai
Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil, $40, Pai Skincare
This line of skincare is created with sensitive skin in mind, made in London, and certified organic. This luxurious rose-hip oil is the most saturated on the market and labels all of its products in English (not Latin) so that you can actually understand what’s in them.
Yes To Paraben-Free
Yes To Tomatoes Acne Control Cleanser, $4, Target
The entire “Yes To” line is paraben free, affordable, and available at drugstores or Target. Seriously, this line makes it so easy to take care of your hormones and your skin.
What's Not to Love?
Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics Vitamin C Body Polish, $48, One Love
OLO is a cult fave for its no-nonsense packaging, body safe formulations, and use of effective natural ingredients that actually work. Plus, that shade of pink is the prettiest.
Smooth And Safe
Oscar Blandi Pronto Gloss Instant Glossing Creme, $25, Ariva
Oscar Blandi products are available at drugstores pretty widely and deliver salon-quality results at home, on the cheap, and without parabens. Win/win/win.
Purely Pretty
Velvet Lipstick, $26, Alima Pure
This velvety lipstick is rich in color and luxurious in texture, but Alima’s whole line is effective and formulated with completely natural ingredients. This should be a necessity in every makeup-wearer’s beauty bag.
Hawaiian Babe
Replenishing Cocoa Butter, $8, Target
I’ve been using Alba’s coco butter lotion since I was 14 and there are few things that beat the smell, lightweight formula, and the cost. Maybe that it’s paraben free? Yeah, that totally wins.
Polished Without Parabens
Priti NYC Polish In Black Moon Pansies, $15, Priti NYC
Priti NYC has fans in couture designers who coat their models’ nails with the stuff before runway shows. Just because it’s a better option doesn’t mean customers lack choice: There are still a dizzying amount of gorgeous shades to choose from.
Divine Davine's
Energizing Lotion, $45, Davines
Using tons of botanicals and caring so much about its non-usage of parabens that it wrote a position paper on it, Davine’s is definitely a brand that sets the bar high. Oh, and its products are incredible. If you get the thinning hair that can be a symptom of PCOS, this energizing lotion will perk those locks right up.
Just The Best
Foot Care/Pedicure Set, $9, Just The Goods
Keeping it simple and spending time developing the perfect natural formulas in a lab means that parabens are unneeded and unwanted in this no-frills vegan line. Just The Goods products follow stringent standards to make sure items are free of any toxins, period. And its products deliver huge results with the most unreal pricing.
Naturally NOLA
Honey Ginger Face Scrub, $32, Yuli Botanicals
This line of natural self care products is infused with the vibrancy of New Orleans, the land from which it hails, and not infused with the icky-ness of parabens.
These Boots Were Made For...
Boots Botanics Mineral Blush, $9, Boots
This British staple brand is now available stateside and paraben-free. Stock up on its bright shades.
Oh, Osmia!
Osmia Tea Bath, $29, Osmia Organics
This brand is crafted in Colorado with the most premium of natural ingredients. And without parabens, obvi.
A Face Mask A Day...
Dr. Jart + Hydration Sheet Mask, $6, Sephora
Credited for starting the Korean skincare craze, this line not only has a cult following — it’s also preserved naturally and made without sulfates and phthalates.
Happy Herbivore
Herbivore Brightening Mask, $48, Sephora
This U.S.-made line is free of: Synthetic ingredients, animal ingredients, parabens, sodium laurel sulfate, alcohol, phthalates, chemicals, artificial colorants/dyes, unnatural preservatives, fillers, animal testing, mineral oils, petroleum. Phew. Don’t you feel better already?
Shea-k It Off
Cheek and Lip Tint, $6, Shea Moisture
Shea Moisture’s products aren’t just without parabens and talc: They also contain nourishing Vitamin E and aloe that protect and add moisture.
Amazon Amazing
Rahua Shampoo, $34, Cap Beauty
Rahua is the ultimate natural haircare line with raving fans and a cult following. It’s strengthening, shine-enhancing, and made with an Amazonian oil and the sent of Palo Santo.
A Classic Standard
Satin Luxe Lip Color, $10, Target
Yes, that Sonia Kashuk is paraben-free! Enjoy this lipstick by the makeup magnate and don’t worry about any nasty parabens or sun’s rays — it has SPF.
Oh So Lush
Ocean Salt Scrub, $22, Lush
What is perhaps Lush’s most renowned and beloved product has now ditched the parabens and is preservative free.
Sweet Salve
Rosebud Salve, $6, Sephora
You know it, you love it, your purse is never without it: But it’s always without parabens. Go ahead and grab that tube on your way out of Sephora, babe.
Skore
Neck Serum, $50, Skoah
Products formulated for spa use, but accessible enough to use every day in your own home? With the motto, “No whale music, no bubbling cherubs, no pretentious attitudes?” I can dig it.
Modern Apothecary
Hygiene Kit, $32, Fig And Yarrow
Fig And Yarrow features bath, body, and facial products alongside personal hygiene items like underarm lotion and oral rinse. Do your whole body good.
Juicy
Green Apple Peel, $42, Ulta
What’s better than a certified organic line backed by science? Not much! Check out this miracle-working fruit acid peel if you have problem skin and painful acne.
Safe Sunning
Sport SPF 30, $32, Coola Suncare
Not only does this Sport SPF spray on, it smells like a Piña Coladas. Feel like you’re on a tropical vacation even if you’re just out to walk the dog.
Rocky Mountain Way
Raspberry Rooibos Bath Bomb, $5, Rocky Mountain Soap
Made in the gorgeous mountain town of Canmore, this brand is dedicated to not just making products that smell and work great — it goes to great lengths to educate its customers about the toxins in conventional products and why RMS does what it does.
Living Luminosity
Volumizing Mascara, $28, Credo Beauty
When you face health struggles as a makeup artist and don’t just recover, but also create a line of live and healing products as a response, you earn a spot in my personal hall of fame. Not only is this line so incredibly safe, it’s also one of the most uniquely nourishing on the planet.