Thanks to the advertising that flooded our lives, many have heard of the harmful, according to scientists and researchers, component of most personal care products - Sodium Laureth Sulfate. What it is? Let's understand the article.
What is Sodium Laureth Sulfate?
This is a chemical component, a cheap surfactant with a strong detergent, cleaning, foaming and wetting effect. This ingredient is widely used in industrial production and in household chemicals (cleaners and degreasers for washing dishes, floors, cars and other surfaces), Sodium Laureth Sulfate is also actively used in cosmetics, namely:
- foams and gels for washing;
- make-up remover;
- shampoo;
- liquid soap;
- shower gels;
- bath foam;
- toothpaste;
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intimate hygiene products.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate. What it is?
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is considered lessdangerous than Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SCS), but despite this, this substance is still the strongest allergen that can seriously worsen the condition of patients suffering from dermatitis. Destroying the hydrolipidic film, the substance reacts with skin lipids and destroys them. Also, this component is a good conductor of toxic substances, easily combining with other ingredients, forms dioxins and nitrates and quickly carries them to all organs.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate Shampoo
This substance is especially often used in the production of shampoos - about 90% of them contain this ingredient. SLES (or SLS, or ALS, or ALES) is the first ingredient on the list of most shampoos and acts as a cleansing base. Adding these substances is the cheapest and easiest way to get a thick lather, as well as cleanse the hair and scalp of sebum. The concentration of sulfates in the product can be different: in shampoos for normal and dry hair they are less, for oily hair - more. More expensive products use SLES and SLS, cheap ones use ALES and ALS. Finding a shampoo that does not contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate or other sulfates is a very difficult task.
Sulfates have long been thought to be one of the triggers for cancer. But later this myth was dispelled and it was proved that sulfates are not carcinogens. However, nevertheless, these substances, and in particular Sodium Laureth Sulfate, can cause significant harm to the body.
Impactsulfates on the human body
- Clean sulfates, oxidizing the surface, including the skin, and leave a film on it. As a result, the epidermis is irritated, itching, redness, peeling, and allergies develop. With prolonged use - skin diseases.
- Sulfates dry out hair, resulting in brittle, split ends and dry ends. Dandruff can also form, hair fall out, and scalp diseases develop.
- Sulfate affects in such a way that the hair becomes greasy at the roots, and they have to be washed much more often. This is explained simply - the work of the sebaceous glands is activated as a result of strong degreasing of the scalp.
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Through the dermis, sulfates penetrate into tissues and organs: liver, eyes, heart, kidneys, brain. These substances settle and accumulate there, their concentration gradually increases. As a result, the protein composition of cells can change, which, in turn, provokes the development of various diseases (for example, cataracts). This is especially true for children. Sodium Laureth Sulfate and other sulfates can also damage the immune system and cause cell mutations.
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The liver practically does not remove these substances from the body.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
How to limit the effects of sulfates on the body?
- Certainly, cosmetics containing sulfates should not be used by people with sensitive and allergic skin. Many companies produceproducts labeled "for children", "children" and so on, but often this is just a publicity stunt and such products are no different from "adult" products in composition.
- Products containing SLS are generally recommended to be avoided, especially not recommended for children. Infrequent use of cosmetic products with SLES in the composition will not bring much harm. But, as a rule, we use such products daily: dishwashing liquid, shower gels and soaps, shampoos.
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The content of sulfates in creams and other cosmetics is especially dangerous, because such products remain on the skin for a long time. This also applies to make-up remover and face wash, because many people remove makeup from their eyes with face products.
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You should not fall for advertising tricks and treat dandruff, itching and flaking with sulfate shampoos. After all, these funds themselves can cause such problems.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate in cosmetics
Is there an alternative?
Instead of cosmetic products with sulfates, you should choose natural and organic cosmetics. As a rule, the quality of these funds is confirmed by international certificates. Instead of harmful sulfates, such products use plant components: lauret sulfosuccinate, lauril glucoside, cocoglucoside, they are obtained from glucose and coconut oil. Such shampoos, gels, soaps do not foam very well, compared to sulfate-containing products, which give abundant foam. In our childhood, shampoos also didn’t lather well, but they didn’t dry our hair and so often,like today, we didn't have to wash our hair.
In closing
Of course, it is simply impossible to completely abandon products that contain sulfates. But you can try to at least limit their use by carefully studying the label and choosing cosmetic products with less aggressive ingredients. Especially carefully it is necessary to choose means for children. Recently, various skin diseases have been increasingly diagnosed in babies, because from birth, their delicate skin is subjected to the aggressive influence of the so-called "children's" products. Be extremely careful and take care of your he alth!
