If you want paraben-free skincare products, this article will point you exactly in that direction.

A few things you should know about parabens first. That's right, it's "parabens" -- several parabens are in common use, so "parabens-free skincare" would be a more accurate phrase.

Many skincare products (and moisturizing products) use parabens as a preservative for long shelf life. So paraben-free skincare shopping takes some care, since parabens are so common. They are effective preservatives and they're cheap.

Some studies suggest that parabens may cause cancer and interfere with the body's endocrine system, especially sex hormones, as well as causing allergic reactions and skin rashes.

Those studies are far from a "smoking gun." They don't prove parabens cause these problems.

Even so, in 2006 the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) said that the available data on parabens "do not enable a decisive response to the question of whether propyl, butyl and isobutyl paraben can be safely used in cosmetic products at individual concentrations up to 0.4%," which is the allowed limit in Europe.

So it's reasonable to decide that paraben-free skincare products are the safest way to go.

In skincare and cosmetics, the most common parabens are methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben. So you can just start checking ingredient labels.

But that can get tiresome, because sometimes it seems the labels are designed to be complex and confusing. You might find parabens listed as any of the following: 4-hydroxybenzoic acid; benzoic acid; 4-hydroxy-; p-carboxyphenol; p-hydroxybenzoic acid; p-salicyclic acid; 4-hydroxy-benzoic acid; benzoic acid; and just plain parabens.

A more reasonable approach that cuts through all the technical mumbo-jumbo is to find a manufacturer that takes a stand against paraben use, period. This simplifies your choices. It has another advantage, too: the manufacturer that chooses to produce only paraben-free skincare products is likely to be careful about avoiding a lot of other irritants and potentially hazardous ingredients, too.

For some specific suggestions on paraben-free skincare products, check my website.