If you’re a skincare enthusiast like me, it might be tough to remember the last time you didn’t see the words “paraben-free” on the labels of your products. When I first encountered this phrase, I remember thinking, “Wow, parabens must be pretty bad then, huh?” I’m not ashamed to admit that this thought crossed my mind without actually knowing what parabens were. Given the purpose of these labels, it’s understandable that I (or anyone) would assume that parabens were unsafe or harmful.