But what is the real cost of applying these products to your body?
If I were to tell you that your personal care products could be putting you at risk for hair and skin damage, immunological problems, damage to your eyes, and possibly even cancer, would you pay a little more attention to their ingredients?
The growing awareness of chemicals in the foods you eat has led many of you to begin reading labels. If you are doing this as part of your regular shopping routine, I commend you, and you will likely live longer for it.
Personal care products have become a $50-billion industry in the United States. You are seduced on a daily basis by the intoxicating aromas, flashy packaging and enticing promises of everlasting youth these products offer.
But what about the products you are smearing all over yourself?
- Eye makeup can be absorbed by your highly sensitive mucous membranes.
- Hair sprays, perfumes and powders can be inhaled, irritating your lungs.
- Lipstick is licked off and swallowed.
- Sunscreen and lotions are absorbed through your skin.
- Shampoo can run into your eyes or your baby's eyes.
- Laundry detergent, in small amounts, comes in contact with your skin via your clothes
In 2004, a six-month study was done about personal care product use . More than 10,000 body care product ingredients were evaluated, involving 2,300 participants.
One of the findings was that the average adult uses nine personal care products each day, containing 126 different chemicals. The study also found that more than 250,000 women, and one out of every 100 men, use an average of 15 products daily.
Are these products as safe as the labels would have you to believe?
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), and Ammonium Laurel Sulfate (ALS)
Sodium lauryl sulfate is a surfactant, detergent and emulsifier used in thousands of cosmetic products, as well as in industrial cleaners. It is present in nearly all shampoos, scalp treatments, hair color and bleaching agents, toothpastes, body washes and cleansers, make-up foundations, liquid hand soaps, laundry detergents and bath oils/bath salts.
Although SLS originates from coconuts, the chemical is anything but natural.
The real problem with SLES/SLS is that the manufacturing process (ethoxylation) results in SLES/SLS being contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, a carcinogenic by-product[5], which will be discussed in more detail later.
SLS is the sodium salt of lauryl sulfate, and is classified by the EWG Cosmetics Database as a "denaturant, surfactant cleansing agent, emulsifier and foamer," rated as a "moderate hazard."
Similar to sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is sodium laureth sulfate (short for sodium lauryl ether sulfate, or SLES), a yellow detergent with higher foaming ability. SLES is considered to be slightly less irritating than SLS.
Ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) is another surfactant variation commonly put into cosmetics and cleansers to make them foam. ALS is similar to SLS, with similar risks.
SLS goes by other names, including:
- Sodium dodecyl sulfate - A13-00356
- Sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, sodium salt - Akyposal SDS
- Sodium salt sulfuric acid - Aquarex ME
- Monododecyl ester sodium salt sulfuric acid - Aquarex methyl
What You Put ON Your Skin Can Be More Dangerous Than What You Eat
Putting chemicals on your skin or scalp may actually be worse than eating them. When you eat something, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help to break it down and flush it out of your body. However, when you put these chemicals on your skin, they are absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind, going directly to your delicate organs.
Once these chemicals find their way into your body, they tend to accumulate over time because you typically lack the necessary enzymes to break them down.
There are literally thousands of chemicals used in personal care products, and the U. S. government does not require any mandatory testing for these products before they are sold.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimates that one out of five cosmetics might be contaminated with a cancer-causing agent. This nonprofit public-interest research group is known for making connections between chemical exposure and adverse health conditions.
The United Nations Environmental Programme estimates that approximately 70,000 chemicals are in common use across the world, with 1,000 new chemicals being introduced every year. Of all the chemicals used in cosmetics, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health reported that nearly 900 are toxic, and that estimate might be low.
Many of the same poisons that pollute your environment are also lurking in the jars and bottles that line your bathroom shelves. We all risk becoming a toxic waste dump from the products we use, the foods we eat, and the environment in which we live.
Why Worry About Your Skin?
Your skin is much more than a wrap to keep you from sliding down into a puddle of formless bio-goo. It is your body's largest organ.
You might not be aware of the many protective functions your skin serves. Consider that your skin:
- Protects your internal organs from injury and infection and is your primary and most important defense against infections.
- Helps eliminate wastes through perspiration.
- Assists your immune system by providing a protective barrier to viruses and bad bacteria, thus preventing infections.
- Provides a friendly habitat for good bacteria.
- Helps maintain body temperature by controlling heat flow between you and your environment.
- Seals in moisture, maintaining your body's delicate fluid balance.
- Produces vitamin D, which is crucial for your health.
- Sends sensory feedback to your brain because it is rich in receptors, such as hard/soft and hot/cold, so that you can react to dangerous conditions around you.
Your skin is vital to your health, yet many people fail to take care if it. Because your skin has the ability to absorb much of what you put on it, informed choices are critical to optimize your health.
You should give your skin the same thoughtful care you give your diet, because much of what goes ON you ends up going IN you.
Can 16,000 Studies About SLS be Wrong?
According to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews, research studies on SLS have shown links to:
- Irritation of the skin and eyes
- Organ toxicity
- Developmental/reproductive toxicity
- Neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicology, and biochemical or cellular changes
- Possible mutations and cancer
If you visit the SLS page on the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) website you will see a very long list of health concerns and associated research studies. In fact, you will also see their mention of nearly 16,000 studies in the PubMed science library (as well as their link to that list) about the toxicity of this chemical.
There are clearly grounds for concern about using products containing this agent. Yet, skeptics abound who claim that these concerns are overblown and unfounded. It's no wonder that consumers are completely confused about just how much risk this chemical poses.
Since most of the research studies are done on SLS itself - not on products containing it - the EWG states:
"Actual health risks will vary based on the level of exposure to the ingredient and individual susceptibility."
Many of the studies on laboratory animals have involved applying SLS directly to the eyes of the animals and feeding them straight SLS. As would be expected with ANY chemical, eating it or putting it in your eyes would be bad news!
Even natural substances applied in high concentration (for example, cinnamon oil or oregano oil) can have harmful effects.
But high levels of SLS intake, either orally or through the skin, are not ordinarily experienced in normal cosmetics use - it's the gradual, cumulative effects of long-term, repeated exposures that are the real concern. And there is a serious lack of long-term studies on ALL of the chemicals in these products - so we don't really know what the long-term effects are.
It's not just repeated exposure to one chemical - it's the combined effect of thousands of little chemical exposures, day in and day out, that is of concern.
Sorting through the evidence is even more complicated when research findings are exaggerated and misquoted, and then circulated around the Internet as if it were fact.
Final Tips and Tricks to Lighten Your Toxic Load
Here are a few other suggestions to help you avoid SLS and other nasty chemicals:
- Look for the genuine USDA Organic Seal18.
- If you can't pronounce it, you probably don't want to put it on your body. Ask yourself, "Would I eat this?"
- Look for products that are fragrance-free. One artificial fragrance can contain hundreds - even thousands - of chemicals, and fragrances are a major cause of allergic reactions.
- Pay attention to the order in which the ingredients are listed. Manufacturers are required to list ingredients in descending order by volume, meaning the first few ingredients are the most prominent. If calendula extract is the last ingredient in a long list, your calendula body wash isn't very natural.
- Stick to the basics. Do you really need 20 products to prepare for your day? Simplify your life and rescue your bank account.
- Buy products that come in glass bottles rather than plastic, since chemicals can leach out of plastics and into the contents. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a serious concern; make sure any plastic container is BPA free.
- Drink plenty of filtered water every day to assist your body in flushing out toxins.
- Eat lots of vibrantly colored organic vegetables (and fruits, in moderation) to keep your body well stocked with antioxidants.
- Look for products that are made by companies that are earth-friendly, animal-friendly and green.
The final Curious © phrase:
“When you are skinning your customers, you should leave some skin on to grow again so that you can skin them again”
(Nikki Giovanni)
