What's in your Shower? 4 Soap Ingredients to Avoid
One of the main ways your body acquires nutrients, other than eating, is through the skin. Your skin is your largest organ and most of the substances you put on it are eventually absorbed into the bloodstream. Our skin absorbs the good, the bad and the ugly ingredients that you put on it. It can't discern what is good or bad, that is left up to you.
Chemicals in common soaps can disrupt our hormones, cause allergies, lead to reproductive issues and increase risk of some cancers. With serious side effects like these, we need to be particular about what we put on our skin.
1) Triclosan -
Triclosan is a pesticide that has antibacterial properties. It is found in soaps because it helps to get rid of potentially dangerous bacteria that have built up on your skin during the day. Overexposure to antibacterial products can cause an immunity to them. Another important reason to avoid triclosan is that it is considered an endocrine disruptor. Endocrine disruptors cause potentially dangerous fluctuations in your hormone levels which in turn can lead to hormonal problems.
2) Sodium laurel sulfate (SLS):
A common ingredient in personal care products, sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, is an additive that allows cleansing products to foam. According to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, SLS is a "moderate hazard" that has been linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin irritation and endocrine disruption. SLS is in almost all shampoos and soaps. Check your labels and be informed. SLS goes by many different names, some of which include sodium dodecyl sulfate, sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, sodium salt, sodium salt sulfuric acid, sodium dodecyl sulfate, aquarex me or aquarex methyl, reports the EWG.
3) Fragrances
Almost all bars of soap contain added fragrances in order to make them more enjoyable to use in the bath or shower. However, printing ‘fragrance’ on a soap label can be extremely misleading, as this often means that thousands of different chemicals have been added in order to create the special smell of the soap.
The FDA doesn’t require companies to disclose the breakdown of a fragrance’s ingredients to consumers because the chemicals that produce fragrance are considered “trade secrets.” Most of the time, synthetic chemicals and cancer-causing toxins are hiding under that one sneaky term. Constant exposure to fragrances has been shown to negatively impact the central nervous system and can trigger allergies, migraines and asthma symptoms.
4) Parabens
These ingredients are estrogen mimickers—meaning that once applied to the skin, they enter the bloodstream, and the body mistakes them for estrogen. Further studies have demonstrated that parabens can also cause neurological problems by way of nervous system toxicity.
So, if we are washing our bodies with soap that contains harmful ingredients every single day, think of what a lifetime of doing this could do to your health
Government testing on these chemicals is minimal, so it is up to you to make informed decisions about what goes on your skin and what doesn't.
