Soap is dangerous?! Here is how to stay safe

Who doesn’t like to choose a new shampoo or shower gel? You go through the different smells and colourful labels and try to decide which one you like the best. Do you stop to look at the ingredients? Most likely not. And to be perfectly honest, even if you look at the ingredient list, would you recognize anything besides water, fragrance and colour?

Living a healthy lifestyle means you are actively looking at whatever you are coming in contact with, be it food, toiletries or cleaning products, and make the right choices.

Many products are touching our skin every day – soaps, shampoos, creams and lotions.. isn’t it important to know what’s in there? So go grab your shampoo / soap / lotion / toothpaste / dish washing liquid… you get the idea, have a look at the ingredient list and make sure you don’t see any of the harmful ingredients listed below:

1. SLS / SDS

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) gives the shampoo the lovely foam but that’s really the only lovely thing about it. This is a very strong detergent suitable for cleaning cars and garage floors , yet it’s added to shampoos, toothpastes, soaps and cleaning products. Since there is a connection between SLS and cancer, teeth and gums problems, skin irritation and problems in eye development in children, you should really think if the foam worth the dangerous side effects.

2. SLES

Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Research shows that products containing SLES might also contain traces of dioxane, which might cause cancer according to the American EPA. SLES doesn’t actually cleanse, but gives the product a thicker texture and makes it look more concentrated.

3. ALS

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate. Yes, another sulfate to the list. This one can irritate the skin, dry the hair, cause dandruff, make the hair brittle and even affect the hair colour in the long run by causing corrosion.

4. Phthalates

Phthalates are a group of dangerous synthetic chemicals found in about 80% of cosmetics. They are there to create moisture and foam and to help dissolve other ingredients. They are known to be absorbed through the skin and are associated with birth defects, organ damage, infertility and cancer. Hundreds of studies have shown that phthalates can also damage the liver, kidneys and reproductive system.

5. Parabens

Parabens are preservatives found in cosmetics. The parabens mimic estrogen, and that can lead to breast cancer and reproductive issues. They also elevate cellular level damage caused by UV exposure which may cause skin cancer. Researchers found that parabens get easily absorbed by the skin and actually stay in your body tissues and fluids. 😳

6. PEG

Polyethylene Glycols. Derived from petroleum and is often contaminated with byproducts. It’s there as a form of moisturizer but the truth is it’s not really a moisturizer – it just absorbs the liquids from the cells and keep them on the surface. You got it right – it actually cause dryness! It’s common to use PEG for industrial purposes but it’s effect on people is pretty bad – from damaging the liver and kidneys to causing headache and depression, there is an array of dangers connected to PEG, and still if you see it in the ingredient list, you should know that it’s probably 10%-20% of the product, which is a lot.

7. MEA / DEA / TEA

Monoethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine. They are ammonia compounds which are used as emulsifiers, pH adjusters, fragrances or foaming agents. The European commission has banned DEA in cosmetics, and for a good reason. These chemicals have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, organ system toxicity and bioaccumulation (which means they accumulate in the body, in this case especially the kidney and liver, causing toxicity). There are numerous studies that show that a significant amount (over 50%) of DEA in hair dyes, lotions and shampoos actually stay on the skin after contact.

8. Perfume / parfum / fragrance

One thing to look out for is the word perfume. If it’s anywhere on the list it’s problematic because this nice smelling word hides behind it hundreds (!!) of chemicals. Perfumes are not made mainly of flower extracts. They are more like a big mixture of chemicals, many of them are known to be toxic and dangerous. Just imagine what happens when you sniff that lovely perfume – a massive amount of chemicals is going straight through your nose to your brain. And the trickiest part? the companies don’t have to tell you which chemicals they use, they can simply write… perfume.

Why are they even there?

Seeing how dangerous these chemicals are, the next question has to be why. Why are the companies even use these chemicals in their products?

If you read the list above carefully, you probably noticed that these chemicals are not there to actually help in cleaning. They are there for other reasons.

One reason is the foam – people are so used to soaps being foamy that they mistakenly think that if there is no foam then they are not clean. Agree with me that it’s a pretty stupid reason to get chemicals into your body just so that your soap will be more foamy, but the fact is less people will opt for the less foamy soaps and the company will lose money. Which leads us to the second reason the companies use chemicals in their products. And this reason is probably the main reason – money. While flower extracts and natural oils are expensive, the junk of the oil industry is cheap.

How come a soap is dangerous??Aren’t the amounts they use safe?

In short, no, not really.

In more detail, the approach of quantity determines toxicity serves the industry, not the customer. As mentioned above, some chemicals accumulate in the body. If you consistently use all kinds of creams, soaps, perfumes and other cosmetic products, you will have a significant amount of chemicals in your body within a few years. Then, skin rashes, irritations or serious reactions of various system in the body can happen.

Besides, products such as soaps and shampoos are mostly used while taking hot showers. The hot water causes the pores to open, thus the chemicals can get into the skin even more easily, and by massaging the soap into our skin we basically help the chemicals get into the bloodstream.

If soap is dangerous, How do I stay safe?

Some companies today are aware of the dangers of the chemicals and are making lines of products without them. Keep in mind though, if something is marketed as “natural” it doesn’t necessarily mean it contains only natural ingredients so in order to stay on the safe side, always make sure to check the labels and look not only at what is written but also at where it is on the list. The first few ingredients are the main ones, the ones at the end are almost insignificant.

Don’t get excited if the cream says that it contains vitamin E, avocado oil, aloe vera and rare minerals from the bottom of the Atlantic ocean. If these ingredients are near the end of the list, you can almost ignore them – remember the list is arranged in descending order. Instead, you’ll want to make sure you don’t see any of the harmful chemicals mentioned above. The junk of the oil industry isn’t something you want on your skin.

P.S.

Now that you know the harmful nature of many of the toiletries, if you need ideas for good natural products to use for your skin or hair, you can check right here to learn more.

How aware are you to what is in your toiletries and cleaning products? Do you have any more important notes to add? Please share in the comments section below.

stay safe and healthy! 💙