Video: Preservative in beauty products may pose health risk

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Could a common preservative used in many beauty products be a potential health risk?

The jury is still out, but one Seattle doctor is waging a campaign to build awareness of the potential hazard, especially for young girls.

According to Dr. Tami Meraglia of the Vitality Medisap and Wellness Center, parabens are everywhere.

"Most of your makeup has it. Your shampoo has it. It's really, really a problem because you have to read the label," she said.

So what do you look for?

"They come in all forms... methylparaben, butylparaben, ethyl-methyl paraben… anything that has the paraben at the end of the word is this potentially dangerous health risk," she said.

Why? Because parabens mimic estrogen.

"And did you know that products you use can get inside your body, products you use every day," she continued.

As a public service announcement from Cornell University explains, long-term exposure to parabens can increase your risk for breast cancer, which is why there is concern for young girls, not to mention boys.

"We've found that it does accumulate in our fatty tissues, these parabens, and it increases over time. And when it has an estrogen-like activity, we're thinking it might have something to do with why we're getting puberty earlier, why we're getting infertility in women in their early 20's, problems that we cant quite figure out, but this looks like definitely one culprit or the culprit," said Meraglia.

The FDA believes that at the present time there is no reason for consumers to be concerned.

The FDA does not regulate cosmetic ingredients, but the agency did issue a statement on its Web site saying there is no reason at the present time for consumers to be concerned about parabens.

Dr. Meraglia says she advises her clients to avoid parabens.

Kim Dinsmoor is a convert.

"Anything that isn't helpful, I want to cut out. It's like bad clothes. Get rid of them! Bad preservatives, get rid of them!" she said.

Many paraben-free products come in a pump bottle to prevent exposure to air, but the only way to tell for sure is to read the label.