Paba

> Just wondering if Paba is harmful. I read> on suntan lotion labels that they are paba free.> Then on the back of the hair vitamins, I see they> contain paba. Anyone have the scoop on this? Cher> Cher, This was what I found in Aubrey Hampton's Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care. You might want to check out the text. "PABA-Para-aminobenzoic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin found in blackstrap molasses, bran,brewer's yeast, eggs, liver, milk, rice, organ meats, wheat germ, and whole wheat. The RDA is 50-60mg per day, and is not generally toxic. Some individuals, however, may have side effects with excessive intake on a regular basis. Topical toxicity is rare. Some individuals may have a slight reddening of the skin, but it is not a lasting reaction. This nutrient is important to glands, hair, intestines, and skin. It facilitates blood cell formation, hair pigmentation (see PANTOTHENIC ACID). Discussion and Cosmetic Use- PABA is well known for its ability to screen out the burning effects of UV rays, and thought there are several substances known to do this job, PABA is still the choice for sun protection. PABA works best when combined with other sun protectors such as jojoba butter(and oil), African butter(karite or shea butter), aloe vera, willow bark extract, and cuttlefish oil. Though PABA is not easily washed away, it holds best to the skin if combined with fatty acid esters, sorbitol, or vegetable glycerine. PABA has been recorded as a nutrient that retards hair loss, prevents gray hair. It also, of course, can be used in shampoos and hair conditioners to prevent UV damage of the disulphide bond in hair(another cause of hair loss and breakage).The salt of PABA, known as dimethylaminoethanol(DMAE) is an amino alcohol believed by some scientists to reduce the aging process by removing the accumulated toxic by-products of metabolism. It is believed that as we age the body has the inability to create digestive enzymes(known as lysosomes) and that PABA keeps the lysomal enzymes doing their job. When we see the "brown spots" on our skin known as "age spots" or "liver spots" it is a tissue result of toxic accumulation within the body. These toxins accumulate in brain cells where they interfere with cellular metabolism. It is believed that PABA combined with B12, selenium, inositol, C, pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin, niacin, and cystine can prevent hair loss."Hope this helps. Please excuse any typos. I was typing too fast and Federal Express has been here twice. Anyway, if u are ever unsure about an ingredient in your shampoos or cosmetics, check out Aubrey's book. Most likely, it will be in there.

>> thanks for the info.. but one question still> arises.. Why do they not include paba in suntan> lotions if it is a good product? Why do they go> out of their way to advertise paba-free? It sounds> like it is good for your hair anyway.. CherIf I remember correctly, I think Aubrey mentioned something about some people having a sensitivity to the ingredient, topically speaking.

Thanks Laura.. what about taking it as a part of a vitamin regime..orally?> This is less than half correct. First of> all, PABA is a well-known cause of skin irritation> in a large number of people, particularly small> children. It is recommended that young children> never use sunscreens containing PABA because of> this. This skin reaction is usually mild, but> can be extremely unpleasant, as I can personally> attest.> PABA is far from being the sunscreen of choice> - in fact, almost all sunscreen products sold> in the US now are PABA-free.> Furthermore, either the person posting the> information typed it incorrectly, or the author> of the book doesn't know the first thing about> organic chemistry, because dimethylaminoethanol> is ABSOLUTELY NOT the salt of PABA. The salt of> PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) would be para-aminobenzoate.> Chemically and structurally, that is nothing like> dimethylaminoethanol. Perhaps PABA could be modified,> by a series of reactions, to form dimethylaminoethanol,> but it is not the salt.> I really do know what I am talking about> here - I have a degree in biochemistry, and spent> a whole year studying organic chemistry as part> of my degree (2 semesters of lecture, 1 semester> of a labclass , 1 semester of spectroscopic methods> of analysis, and 1 semester working in an organic> synthesis research lab). This is very simple organic> chemistry, too.