Do You Really Know
what's in your personal care products?
Take the label test!
Here's a list of some of the most common ingredients in your shampoos and body lotions, and what they really do.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate; Sodium Lauryl Sulfate(SLS)and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
- These are known irritants of the eye and skin. SLS in particular is a harsh detergent, often used as a foaming agent in products such as car wash soaps.
- Tests show that SLS can form carcinogenic nitrates when used in products containing nitrogen-based ingredients. These can readily enter the blood stream. They can cause eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, and allergic reactions.
- According to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, SLS produced skin and hair damage, including cracking and severe inflammation of the derma-epidermal tissue. Skin layers may separate and inflame due to its protein-denaturing properties.
- SLS irritates the scalp and may promote hair loss.
Propylene Glycol (PG)
- A petroleum derivative, it penetrates the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure.
- PG is strong enough to remove barnacles from boats!
- The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) in America considers PG so toxic that it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles and to dispose of any PG solutions by burying them in the ground.
- Because PG penetrates the skin so quickly, the EPA warns against skin contact to prevent consequences such as brain, liver and kidney abnormalities.
- But there isn't even a warning label on products such as stick deodorants, where the concentration is greater than in most industrial applications!
DEA (diet hanolamine) MEA (monoethanolamine) TEA (triethanolamine)
- These chemicals are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects.
- TEA causes allergic reactions including eye problems, dryness of hair and skin, and could be toxic if abosrbed into the body over a long period of time.
- Often used in cosmetics to adjust the pH, and used with many fatty acids to convert acid to salt (stearate), which then becomes the base for a cleanser.
Mineral Oil
- This petroleum by-product coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores.
- Interferes with the skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders.
- Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging.
- Used in many products (baby oil is 100% mineral oil!). Any mineral oil derivative can be contaminated with cancer causing PAH's.
- Manufacturers use petroleum because it is unbelivably cheap.
Fragrances
- Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to four thousand separate ingredients, many toxic or carcinogenic.
- Symptoms reported to the USA FDA include headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomitting, and skin irritation.
- Clinical observation proves fragrances can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, and irritability.