Have you ever wondered what all those complex sounding ingredients listed on the label of your skincare products are? When mySkin.com’s skin questionnaire asked me which ingredients I did not want my skincare products to contain, it dawned on me like a lightning bolt from the blue, that I have no clear idea of most of the ingredients found in the beauty products I used. I decided it was time to find out.
Peering at the fine print on my <lotion or cream>, I decided that the first mystery ingredient I was going to tackle was PABA.
PABA is in fact an acronym which stands for: Para Amino Benzoic Acid. It is an antioxidant found in Vitamin B complex and many sunscreen products that absorb UV light. PABA is often referred to as Vitamin Bx (part of the Vitamin B complex family) but it is neither an actual vitamin nor is it an essential nutrient for humans. It is actually the best known ingredient found in sunscreens today, usually found in lotions and creams to prevent sunburn. Its properties effectively screen out the UV responsible for sunburn, but do not offer protection against the full spectrum of the rays, including those linked with skin cancer. Interestingly, PABA can be taken orally in vitamin supplements, but will not protect you from the sun in that manner. Its sunscreen function is purely a matter of PABA acting as a dye that will absorb the ultraviolet light. Remember, you need to topically apply it for it to work on the skin.
PABA-based sunscreens were the first ever widely marketed sunscreens. However, through the years it was found to cause photo-allergic reactions to many people, such that there has been a PABA sunscreen ban in many countries. Allergic side effects to PABA-based sunscreens include acne, dark red spots, burning and itching, and painful, pus-filled blisters on follicles. However, such sunscreens are still deemed safe to use for those who do not have any form of PABA allergies.
Now that we know what PABA is, my word of advice to you: Make sure you test the PABA based skincare product on a small portion of your skin for several hours to check for allergic reactions, before deciding to add it to your arsenal of skincare products.