**Please note I am in the process of replacing some of the images for this post. Where images are missing, you can view images of the products by following the links provided**

Parabens are a class of chemical commonly used as a preservative in makeup and skin care. There are some concerns that parabens can cause allergic reactions, exacerbate skin conditions and may even be carcinogenic - although there is currently no evidence for a causal link between parabens and cancer. You can read more about parabens on Wikipedia.

I suffer from eczema and have done all my life, and I have been advised that avoiding parabens may help keep my eczema under control. With that in mind, I have started to move towards paraben-free skincare and cosmetics, and I will see if it makes any difference to my skin. In the future it may be proved that parabens have no effect and are completely safe to use, but if you are concerned about parabens in your products, here are some paraben-free things that I have tried:

Aqueous cream

I have used Aveeno in the past, but I bought a tube of the Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion whilst I was away in Oxford and I loved it. It's very soothing for troubled skin, and keeps the skin well moisturised. It smells pleasant and feels light and non-greasy. I got through a whole bottle of this in around a week, but I would definitely buy this again.

Ingredients: [PR-001331], Aqua, Glycerin, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Stearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol

Price: £3.66 for 200ml from Superdrug (£5.49 for the same thing in Boots!!)

Overall Rating: 5/5

Lush Ultrabalm




I am a big fan of Lush products as they are largely natural and seem on the whole to agree with my skin pretty well. I went into Lush this recently for some advice on their skincare products as I had previously tried (and loved) Sympathy For The Skin and Dream Cream for my eczema, but had discovered on reading the ingredients that they both contain parabens.

I was given a sample of their Ultrabalm to try, but having now used my sample, I don't think I will be buying the full sized product. For me, there didn't seem to be any particular improvement to my skin (unlike, for example, the Aveeno, which immediately made my skin feel cool and soothed). On my skin, this product seems to be pretty middle-of-the-road and not worth paying the price for.

However, I really enjoy the smell and the texture of this product, and it does seem as though the small size of the pots might still last a decent amount of time.

Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Candelilla Wax, Rose Wax

Price: £8.25 for 45g

Overall Rating: 3/5

Cetaphil Restoraderm




Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this post. Most of the  products were bought with my own money, with the exception of the Cetaphil which was sent as a free sample using a coupon. All opinions are my own.