Sodium Laurel Sulfate
We should all be aware of the dangers of this terrible ingredient, used not only in adult products - read the back of the bottles as to the ingredients which you are using for your babies!
There is so much more to this - please google and research yourselves.
I have been an avid user of the alchemy range for years now. I recently ought a "certified organic" soap bar from teh "lush" store. Silly me for being so trusting! There it is, in the ingredient list, the above mentioned evil.
Here is but one article i have found - i have heard this ingredient also leads to blindness.
Oh - and its the same ingredient which is used to make your diswashing detergent and car detergent foam up! And if you dont know better its in your babies bath right now!
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS ) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).
The Killers in your bathroom?
(Already know the dangers of SLS and just want to get some products? Click the link for a complete range of SLS-Free products)
SLS-free products shampoo image
Both Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and its close relative Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) 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.
SLS and SLES are esters of Sulphuric acid - SLS is also known as "Sulfuric acid monododecyl ester sodium salt", however there are over 150 different names by which it is known - see them here. In fact, SLES is commonly contaminated with dioxane, a known carcinogen.
Although SLES is somewhat less irritating than Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, it cannot be metabolised by the liver and its effects are therefore much longer-lasting.
A report published in the Journal of The American College of Toxicology in 1983 showed that concentrations as low as 0.5% could cause irritation and concentrations of 10-30% caused skin corrosion and severe irritation. National Institutes of Health "Household Products Directory" of chemical ingredients lists over 80 products that contain sodium lauryl sulfate. Some soaps have concentrations of up to 30%, which the ACT report called "highly irritating and dangerous".
Shampoos are among the most frequently reported products to the FDA. Reports include eye irritation, scalp irritation, tangled hair, swelling of the hands, face and arms and split and fuzzy hair. The main cause of these problems is sodium lauryl sulfate.
Click here to learn of the possible health effects of SLS/SLES
So why is a dangerous chemical like sodium lauryl sulfate used in our soaps and shampoos?
The answer is simple - it is cheap. The sodium lauryl sulfate found in our soaps is exactly the same as you would find in a car wash or even a garage, where it is used to degrease car engines.
In the same way as it dissolves the grease on car engines, sodium lauryl sulfate also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause a drying effect. It is also well documented that it denatures skin proteins, which causes not only irritation, but also allows environmental contaminants easier access to the lower, sensitive layers of the skin.
Perhaps most worryingly, SLS is also absorbed into the body from skin application. Once it has been absorbed, one of the main effects of sodium lauryl sulfate is to mimic the activity of the hormone Oestrogen. This has many health implications and may be responsible for a variety of health problems from PMS and Menopausal symptoms to dropping male fertility and increasing female cancers such as breast cancer, where oestrogen levels are known to be involved.
Products commonly found to contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or SLES
Soaps
Shampoos
Bubble-baths
Tooth paste
Washing-up liquid / dish soap
Laundry detergent
Childrens soaps / shampoos
Stain Remover
Carpet Cleaner
Fabric glue
Body wash
Shave cream
Mascara
Mouthwash
Skin cleanser
Moisture lotion / Moisturiser
Sun Cream
To find hair, personal and household products without ANY SLS or other harmful chemicals, please click this link - SLS-free products.
SLS-free products and Recommended product for each category SLS-Free Soaps Natural Soap
SLS-free Shampoos Herbal shampoo 100% natural
SLS-Free Hair Colouring Natural hair colouring
SLS-free Bubble-baths Aromatherapy bath crystals
SLS-free Tooth paste Natural Toothpaste
SLS-free Washing-up liquid / dish soap Dish Soap (click "products", then "newbrite")
SLS-free Laundry detergent Newbrite (click "products", then"newbrite")
SLS-free Childrens soaps / shampoos Natural shampoo
SLS-free Body wash Natural body wash
SLS-free Shave cream His and hers shave soap
SLS-free Cosmetics Chemical-free cosmetics (Click "products", then "Leslie Deeann Cosmetics")
SLS-free Mouthwash Eliminator mouthwash (Clik "products" then "dental care")
SLS-free Skin cleanser Clearskin face wash
SLS-free Moisture lotion / Moisturiser Natural Hand and body cream
SLS-free Sun Cream
Do not believe that just because a product is labeled as "natural" it is free from SLS or SLES. Most common brands of "Natural" or "Herbal" shampoos and cleansers still use these harmful chemicals as their main active ingredient - check your labels!
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