Parabens and Curly/Wavy Hair

Parabens are common preservatives that got a nasty reputation due to a 2004 paper that found parabens in breast cancer tumors. That doesn’t mean parabens caused the tumors and the vast majority of scientific research has found parabens to be safe . However, the bad reputation has stuck around and many people prefer to avoid them.

This is relevant to the curly/wavy community because Lorraine Massey recommended avoiding them in her greatly influential Curly Girl: The Handbook:

One of the most widely used preservatives added to cosmetics (as well as foods and drugs) to ward off the growth of bacteria. Those you’ll typically find in an ingredients list include methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. In recent years, they’ve become controversial as experts question whether they are safe.

I wouldn’t say they are bad for curly/wavy hair, but many people prefer to avoid them so CurlsBot does provide an alert when they are found in a product.