Parabens are a chemical preservative used in a multitude of different products, but most commonly associated with hair and skin products and medications.

They are very effective as antifungal and antibacterial agents to give products a longer shelf life, but unfortunately can act as an irritant in some people and can cause contact allergic reactions. Parabens are more commonly shown to irritate the skin after it has already been inflamed by another allergen. This is called the 'Paraben Paradox'.

They have low toxicity compared to other preservatives and rarely cause allergic reactions from being ingested (in the form of medications).

Parabens are usually used in products in combination to maximise their antimicrobial action, the most frequently paired combination being methylparaben and ethylparaben.

The symptoms of an allergy to parabens will usually manifest itself as hot and itchy or dry and scaly skin. On lighter skin tones this may be as a red inflamation, on darker skin tones the irritation may appear darker, which could include looking purple, ashy grey or dark brown.

Allergy to parabens is strongly associated with contact allergic dermatitis, when a chemical causes the skin to be irritated.

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