Few ingredients are as much-maligned in the beauty world as parabens. In fact, the mere mention of them in certain circles is tantamount to swearing. 

So why do so many beauty products have them? To the uninitiated, parabens are basically chemical preservatives which possess anti-fungal and antibacterial properties (to basically stop your products going off). They are most commonly found in any product in a liquid form (water = bacteria) and companies often resort to them as they are less likely to irritate the skin.

The main reason why they are Public Enemy No.1 is the possible link to breast cancer as parabens mimic oestrogen - a contributing factor to the disease. But as yet, no conclusive proof has shown that they are carcinogenic. Many dermatologists, such as Dr. Nick Lowe, are frustrated at the amount of negative press surrounding them, given the lack of evidence.

'It's nothing but a marketing gimmick,' he concludes. 'Their presence in beauty products is very minimal, making it highly unlikely that they would ever be harmful.'

'They're excellent preservatives,' Dr. Lowe adds, 'and some alternatives to parabens such as 'MI' are showing their own set of problems - they're not necessarily safer.'

"No conclusive proof has shown that parabens are carcinogenic. But then again, there's nothing to prove they are completely harmless either ."

'There has been a lot of press about parabens based on flawed studies,' agrees Cult Beauty founder Alexia Inge. 'They have been used in cosmetics for a long time. If they were that dangerous, they would have been banned a long time ago - and we wouldn't sell products which have them on Cult Beauty.' 

'On the other hand, I'm mindful of the number of synthetic ingredients I use on my body and am flushing into the water system.' Inge continues. 'We tend not to think of the effect this has on sea life or how it will affect men's sperm count. There is also the fact that when people get diagnosed with cancer, doctors tell them to avoid a huge list of chemicals - and parabens is on that list.'

"'I'm mindful of the number of synthetic ingredients I use on my body and am flushing into the water system.' - Cult Beauty Founder, Alexia Inge"

'Our skin protects us from so much,' Inge continues. 'But one area I would be very conscious about is hair care, because our scalp is one of the most absorbent areas of the body. I found once I cut down on chemical shampoos and other haircare products, my hair grew much quicker and became much stronger almost instantly.'

So what's the upshot? 'I'd say avoid them when you can. Don't bin your favourite face cream if it's really working for you but happens to contain parabens - but try to keep the rest of your beauty regime as natural as possible. But if you feel that something's doing good for your skin, let that be your guide.'

Whether parabens are indeed as evil as so many beauty brands make them out to be remains to be seen.  But if you'd rather err on the side of caution, click through our gallery of our marvellous products that work wonders - and also happen to be paraben-free.