Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of and concerned with toxic chemicals in personal care products. However, we don't only need to know what to avoid but also what to look for in order to get the best results for skin.

Researchers from the University of Reading in the UK found that virtually all -- 99 percent -- of the tissue samples collected from women participating in the study contained at least one paraben, and 60 percent of the samples contained no less than five parabens.

A comprehensive study published in the January 2012 issue of the Journal of Applied Technology shows more evidence of a correlation between parabens and incidences of breast cancer.

To get breast cancer, you need to have mutated cells as well as a local tissue environment that is egging them on. It is certainly possible that parabens can contribute to this environment. However, this study only tells us that they are ubiquitous in the cancerous breast. That does not mean that they are the cause of cancer.