Nothing feels better than lathering up your shampoo or hand soap and feeling the dirt simply wash away.
Let me clarify. Nothing feels better to your mind than watching the foam spiral down the drain, dirt in tow, but I can’t say the same for your actual hair and skin. In fact, many things feel better than the damaging and drying effect of Sodium Laurel Sulfates stripping your body of its natural oils.
From the top
Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) are surfactants–surfactants are the compounds that cause products like soap to foam. Because of their ability to lower the surface tension of a liquid, or between a liquid and a solid, they have become popular in the personal-care industry as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, dispersants, and, of course, foaming agents. SLS are in products ranging from toothpaste to shampoo, as well as having a few unexpected uses, which we will discuss in a later section.
Luckily for most big personal-care companies, but unluckily for your skin and hair, SLS are approved by most government agencies.
Did you know?
Although Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) are safe to use they often become irritants and are drying to the skin and hair. Some people are more sensitive then others but the results can be felt by anyone.
Test: Wash your face with pure hand soap (which contains a high level of SLS) and do not moisturize. Some believe that the tight feeling your skin gets afterwards is the feeling of clean, when, in reality, it is your skin drying out and losing elasticity as a result of being stripped of its natural oils.
The scary truth
Remember how I mentioned that Sodium Laurel Sulfates (SLS) have a few unexpected uses? These uses are those that you would not want to associate with using the same ingredient as your personal-care products for which you not only put near your body, but also rub in. Looks like I broke the suspense… Here is a short list just to give you an idea.
- Engine degreaser
- Commercial floor cleaner
- Laundry detergent
- Dishwasher detergent
- Dish soap
- Car wash products
I would also like to take this time to point out that environmental activists are also up in arms because of the history of SLS being tested on animals. A product that is used to degrease engines should not be on our faces nor our animals.
The Problem
A+B=C. Sodium Lauryl Sulfates strip natural oils and break down proteins + your skin and hair are made up of proteins = SLS break down your skin and hair.
It is pretty much as simple as that. The protein in our skin and hair keep it healthy and provide it with a natural texture and glow. By using SLS products we break down these proteins and cause dryness that slowly causes damage. There are also many long-term effects of using SLS regularly, which include sensitivity to the environment and other products.
Why we use it
There is a list of reasons why consumers continue to purchase products with Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS) in them and, unfortunately, they are difficult habits to break.
Price: SLS products are cheaper then their SLS-free counterparts.
Experience: People have become accustomed to the feeling and belief that bubbles mean clean. People have the misconception that if the soap doesn’t foam then it is not working.
Feeling: The tightness and feeling of skin after a bubble bath or face-wash is misconceived as cleanliness, when in fact, as mentioned before, it is the stripping of your skin and hair of natural oils.
Mind over matter
There are a great many reasons to switch over to Sodium Lauryl Sulfates-Free products, consumers just have to be able to see past the foam and understand the cost. Ask yourself a few questions:
Do you suffer from unexplained redness or dermatitis?
Have you just become accustomed to having an itchy neck or body after a shower?
Is your child suffering from pediatric eczema? Or vaginitis? Are they (enjoyers) victims of bubble baths?
Do you need the bubble?
It is important to be an educated consumer and know what chemicals are lurking in your products. It is also important to step back and decide if you need the bubble.With so many health concerns rising about the effects of Sodium Lauryl Sulfates it may be time to have faith in the cleaning agents of your products and look past the suds.
ZENMED has been SLS-Free from the beginning and will continue to be SLS-Free for our consumers. Our products are completely naturally based, vegan, and organic, and provide a healthy and safe alternative to the chemical ridden products on your grocery store shelves.
