We get so carried away and blinded by the TV commercials that we don’t even think twice before using products, which soon become our necessity. Do you by any chance use products like Soaps, Shampoos, Tooth paste, Childrens soaps / shampoos, Body wash, Shave cream Mascara Mouthwash, Skin cleanser, Moisture lotion / Moisturiser ,Sun Cream etc. Well guess what, all these contain chemicals called SLES or SLS.
Well so what? You might ask, and my answer is simply this. Both chemicals are very effective foaming agents, chemically known as surfactants. SLES is commonly contaminated with Dioxane, a known carcinogen (cancer causing agent). 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. 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.
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. 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.
So next time you are goaded by a nice and convincing commercial just try to find out what it contains, which by the way is your right. As far as avoiding the use of products containing SLES and SLS, now a days there are products available which are free of these harmful chemicals all you have to do is look for them. So be smart and live smart.
