By Samantha Olson

Excerpt: Every morning after waking up, when a person showers and shampoos their hair, lotions their body, dons sunscreen, or moisturizes their face, they expose themselves to dozens of controversial, possibly harmful chemicals. Called parabens, a team of researchers from the University of California Berkeley recently discovered these chemicals may be more dangerous at low doses than previously thought. The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, warns consumers that the chemicals can mimic estrogen and possibly even increase risk of cancer.

Parabens mimic estrogen, which tricks the body into thinking they’re actually estrogen. The more a woman is exposed to estrogen, whether it’s from taking estrogen medications, being obese, or experiencing menopause later in life, the greater her risk of breast cancer. The researchers’ concern is that once inside the body, these parabens may become even more potent.