Sodium Laureth Sulfate - I'm so disgusted!

**Celsie** · October 5th, 2007, 09:24 AM

I found this information...

Both Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and its close relative Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) are commonly used in many soaps, shampoos, detergents, toothpastes and other products that we expect to "foam up". Both chemicals are very effective foaming agents, chemically known as surfactants.

Unfortunately, both sodium laureth sulfate and its cousin are also very dangerous, highly irritating chemicals. Far from giving "healthy shining hair" and "beautiful skin", soaps and shampoos containing sodium laureth sulfate can lead to direct damage to the hair follicle, skin damage, permanent eye damage in children and even liver toxicity.

And guess what name JUMPED out at me on Caeleb's Top-to-toe and Bedtime Bath? No more tears? YEAH RIGHT!!!

How can they even sell this cr@p to parents, just wanting "the best" for our babies? SHAME ON THEM!!!

We will be chucking that rubbish out and finding some all natural replacements.

Can anyone recommend some good natural product alternatives for baby?

Celsie. xoxox

Claire · October 5th, 2007, 09:32 AM

Celsie I feel exactly the same - it's been the main cause of my daughters and my skin irritations. Took a while to work it out. But the bathroom cabinets are clear now of all of the old products. If your going to use organic products though make sure they are certified otherwise they could have pesticides in them, which isn't any better at all.

**Janie** · October 5th, 2007, 09:33 AM

Sarah, because Nicholas has dry skin, we bath him in olive oil with a couple of drops of lavender oil. When he has a shower we wash him with sorbelene. His skin looks and smells beautiful!

If you still want to use something 'sudsy' apparently the Aromababy and Gaia products are nice. I have both but still found them too drying.

HTHs

**Celsie** · October 5th, 2007, 09:34 AM

Thanks Claire!

I would have never thought of that. That's extremely helpful!

Celsie. xoxox

p.s. Good luck with Harry's birth!!!

**Shanti** · October 5th, 2007, 09:39 AM

ohh, yes, we stay RIGHT AWAY from that chemical in our house.... its in just about all bathroom products, soaps, shampoos etc and it makes me very angry

to see it in the majority of babies products.... johnson&johnsons etc!!!! i only buy natural and especially for our babies skin one day!

glad you threw them out.... companies dont care about whats in their products because they make money out of it cos its so cheap to produce.

i think woolies now sells a brand of baby shampoos and soaps that is free from nasties, cant remember the name sorry.

try and stay away from petroleum by products too like PROPLYNEGLYCOL (sp?) and fragrances too etc.... they irritate also... there are soo many things we should avoid with our skin so always always always check the back of the label.....if you cant pronounce it, dont buy it

also stay away from "sodium lauryl sulfate" very similar thing, some products contain BOTH!

i use "natural instincts" from chemists you can get them white bottle, blue writing.. and i think they just started doing baby products too! google "sanctum australia"

**krisp** · October 5th, 2007, 09:42 AM

We use the Gaia range for our DS and have done since he was a newborn. It's available in many pharmacies, smells lovely, and doesn't hurt their eyes either.

**Shanti** · October 5th, 2007, 09:44 AM

its worth paying extra $$$ for your skin products for your family and babies.... so worth it

Gaia! thats the brand i was thinking of in woolies!!! and coles

**Sammiejane** · October 5th, 2007, 10:03 AM

Hi all
I agree, it is revolting what they put in the everyday things that we use.
DSS suffered from ezcma when he was smaller and we used sorbalene also on his skin - it was so good for his skin - the only thing that i would say about this, is that if a child has a wheat allergy sorbalene can actually irritate the skin.
Cant remember the name of the shampoo that we use, but DH took a while to get use to it as it doesnt lather as much and we were churning through the bottles as he was using so much - just so you know

**widdly** · October 5th, 2007, 11:08 AM

Gaia is great stuff, smells beautiful

**krysalyss** · October 5th, 2007, 12:26 PM

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate often comes from palm oil. And palm oil plantations are the primary concern for conservationists trying to save the endangered orangutan (red ape) because so much forest is cleared to make way for these plantations (around 300 football fields of forest is cleared EVERY HOUR in Indonesia alone!) Another good reason to avoid it.

**Shanti** · October 5th, 2007, 02:18 PM

Krysalass - omg, i did not konw that about the palm oil plantations.... how sad is that.... omg or the more reason why we DONT buy these products... thank you for telling me that.

**Celsie** · October 5th, 2007, 07:15 PM

Wow girls!!! So much great information. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I'm going to look out for the Gaia brand. I went to The Body Shop, to get some of their baby range, but they no longer sell it. Oh well, I'm glad now, so I can go buy this other stuff instead!

THANK YOU!!!

Celsie. xoxox

**BellyBelly** · October 5th, 2007, 07:30 PM

J&J is the worst brand for toxicity... read the articles on the main site in the misc section its all there and has been for some time!: Miscellaneous Articles. Lots of people I know use the sunflower body wash for bubble bath. It smells so nice.

And its also why I have been using miessence all this time. Its awesome and is certified organic as a product, doesnt just include one or two organic products. Look closer at the labels on things like sorbolene, jurlique - all the gentle brands - they still have petrochemical stuff in them.

Miessence is one of the best brands out. Miessence Products

**Celsie** · October 5th, 2007, 09:20 PM

Oh wow Kelly - that website is a real eye opener. I'm NEVER going buy something just because of a name ever again. I thought I could trust J&J. Like you said, they rate so badly. It's a sad state of affairs when companies willingly poision our children for a profit.

Celsie. xoxox

**Liz** · October 5th, 2007, 11:34 PM

Yep - we avoid SLS here too, and any other petro-chemicals and mineral oils. What's scary is that with these products, the labelling requirements are to list ingredients in order of quantity.. and SLS is always the first or second one listed!! So even when they have a couple of 'good' ingredients.. they're usually at the end.. which means there's hardly any of it in there.

paradise lost · October 6th, 2007, 05:57 AM

Just a heads-up for you ladies - Sodium Laureth (or Laurel) Sulphate is also in most household cleaning agents, most laundry washing products and most toothpastes. Anything that makes foam probably contains it so check ALL labels.

Bec