Trying to choose a safe water bottle that doesn’t leach harmful chemicals into our drinking water sometimes seems about as impossible as getting a two year old to eat a bowl of eggplant with a side of brussel sprouts for dinner.

The claim "paraben free" has begun to show up on many personal care product labels.  But what exactly is a paraben and why is it a good thing that it's not in my shampoo?

There are 4 common types of parabens that you will typically see listed on a label: methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl. All of these parabens are a type of preservative that are used in everything from personal care products such as deodorant and shampoo to, less often, the coating on dried meat products and even some cereal and potato chips. A known endocrine disruptor and possible breast carcinogen, this preservative is worth paying attention to.

To avoid any sort of contamination it is best to rinse out, or preferably wash, your water bottles everyday. The key is to then let them thoroughly dry. Because hand washing isn’t my favorite item on my to-do list I usually buy stainless steel water bottles that have no coating or coloring so that they can go in the dishwasher.