Do You Know What Is Lurking In Your Shampoo?

Have you ever stopped to investigate what your shampoo is made from? Why don't you take a minute right now, go into your bathroom and read the ingredients listed on your shampoo bottle. Does it contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate? Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, (SLS) is a detergent and surfactant commonly found in many personal care products (shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc.). It is commonly used because it is an inexpensive and very effective foamer. It is also used in garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers since it is very corrosive and it effectively attacks greasy surfaces. Nevertheless, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is probably the most dangerous ingredient used in hair care products today.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Exposed

The more the public is aware, the better we as consumers can make the best possible choices for our health. From head to toe, the skin is our body's largest organ and it is extremely sensitive to whatever it comes in contact with. We mainly tend to think of our skin as a barrier. Yet it is to realize that our skin is very "thirsty." Whatever touches the skin is absorbed to some degree directly into our body. What we put on our body inevitably ends up in our body. On the day I learned about the health concerns of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, I went on a quest to my local supermarket to find a shampoo that did not contain SLS. I spent almost an entire hour going up and down the aisle, reading the ingredients on each and every popular shampoo bottle, only to discover that they all contained SLS! Quite shocked, I walked out of the store without purchasing shampoo. I later learned that SLS is in 90% of all the commercial shampoos and conditioners on the shelves! SLS is considered unsafe when used in hair and skin care products in amounts over 2%. (Most consumer products contain more than 20% of SLS!)

You Deserve To Know

Why is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in your shampoo at all? As mentioned earlier, this inexpensive synthetic substance is commonly used in most hair shampoos for its foam-building abilities. Its emulsifying action removes oil and soil from the hair and skin. A variation of SLS is Sodium Laureth Sulfate. It is a similar, higher foaming variation of SLS. Yet while you are busy working up lather, these detergents are potentially harming your hair and skin because they clean by corrosion. Do you know anyone that is prematurely losing their hair or going bald? SLS corrodes the hair follicle which may create hair loss and impede hair growth. It takes much longer for your hair to grow when it has been affected by SLS. In addition, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is known to dry out skin as it strips the protective lipids from the surface leaving your skin ineffective at regulating moisture.

Investigate The Research

Various studies indicate that exposure to SLS can result in eye damage, irritations, skin rashes and infection. It can also cause scalp scurf (a condition similar to dandruff). Exposure to SLS can lead to allergic reactions, a burning sensation, coughing, wheezing, laryngitis, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. SLS can penetrate children's eyes and prevent them from developing properly. It can also lead to cataract formation in adults. Another more serious problem is that SLS can be transformed into nitrosamines (nitrates) when it reacts with certain ingredients used in skin care products. Nitrates are potentially carcinogenic. Due to the penetrating power of SLS, these carcinogens are absorbed through the skin into the body. The body retains SLS in the tissues. In long term use, SLS penetrates your eyes, brain, heart, lungs, liver and can remain absorbed in your body degenerating cell membranes and damaging your immune system. Laboratories actually use Sodium Lauryl Sulfate on test animals for clinical testing to irritate skin! Then products are tested to see how effective they are at healing the irritated skin.

So What Can You Do?
Simply stop buying shampoos that contain SLS. This is the most effective way to let the skin and hair care industries know that you are an educated consumer no longer willing to be poisoned. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a chemical that can be responsibly taken out of skin care products. In the meantime, come to know that there are natural, organic shampoos on the market. Your scalp will thank you.

Here's to your family's health and healthy, shiny hair!

Diane Cuesta
Owner of SkinCareBaby.com

Consider this article as opinion only. Seek the advice of your own physician in connection with any questions or issues you have regarding your health.