Question:
SLSs? Those ingredients we're supposed to avoid
Ok, i'm on a self imposed here ban at the mo but i've been getting confused! Just what is it that we're supposed to be avoiding? I thoulght it was SLSs which make things foam, because they were not natural.
But Lavere (supposedly 100% natural) use SLS and i've just found this:
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
Derived from coconut and palm oils; a safe, skin-friendly surfactant (foaming agent) for both skin and hair. This mild plant derived surfactant creates a rich, luxurious lather that effectively removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria, without stripping or drying sensitive skin. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is also hydrophilic. This means it is attracted to water, which enables it to dissolve more readily in water, thus providing superior rinseablility.
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate vs. Sodium lauryl sulfate
Although an ingredient's name may sound similar to another, it does not mean that the molecules are similar with respect to shape, size, performance or even function. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate sounds similar to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, however, the two molecules are quite different from each other. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a large molecule ingredient. Large molecule ingredients are considered to be mild, gentle, and non-irritating, as they cannot penetrate the skin. In contrast, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a small molecule ingredient, and is capable of penetrating the skin, which can increase the occurrence of skin irritation.
on an ingredients website. Can someone clear the mystery up for me?
Can't help with this one as its mainly parabens that I am avoiding.
It sounds a bit like the first one you mentioned is a natural derivative and the second a chemical derivative - not that I would know lol!!
nell
Pat Thomas in the Ecologist wrote an article this month on detergents in skin care (http://www.theecologist.org/current.asp); can't find my copy at the moment (filed carefully away!) but will try and hunt it out tomorrow.
Funny you should mention this, I have just been reading up on the same thing on the internet, after realising that my dermalogica wash contains sodium laureth sulfate (don't know what the difference is between laureth and lauryl).
Dermalogica state that they "Use only the finest ingredients available, all Dermalogica products are non-comedogenic and contain no occlusive mineral oil or lanolin, no irritating artificial colors or fragrance, and no drying S.D. alcohol".
I'm none the wiser really, but I am beginning to think that my skin reacts badly to anything containing sodium laureth sulfate, as the only wash I've used so far that didn't dry my skin out was clean & clear cream wash, and this doesn't contain sls.......
Saying that, SLS is in johnsons baby wash and other products renowned for being mild & gentle, which is the only thing I'm worried about.....
Have just found this month's copy of the Ecologist. There is an article in it called Read the Label : Detergents. Can't find it online so will try to summarise it!
Body washes, shampoos, shower gels, facial washes etc rely on detergents to clean and provide foaming properties.
Anionic detergents are a group of detergents most commonly found in skin, body and hair care products. Problems - they can be harsh (used in industry to degrease engines!)
Foam no adds no cleaning ability - but manufacturers believe we want foamy formulations so add more and more detergents to give us lots of lather. The more detergent is added to a product the more other ingredients are needed to counteract the harsh nature of the detergent and to limit any skin reaction to the detergent.
Anionic detergents on their own are unlikely to be toxic. But because they are so harsh they can strip the hair and skin of protective oils, increasing risk of dry skin and the absorption of other chemicals into the blood stream.
Can also be harmful in other ways - Some, esp those ending with eth eg Sodium laureth sulphate can be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane. Other detergents such as DEA (diethanolamine) can interact with other ingredients in the mix to form carcinogenic nitrosamines.
DEA and its related compounds such as TEA and MEA (triethanolamine and monoethanolamine) can be found in loads of products that foam eg body washes. Once added to product they react with any nitrates present to form the carcinogenic nitrosamine NDLEA (N-nitrosoiethanolamine). Nitrosamines are the major carcinogens in cigarettes and cured meats.
Nitrates get into personal care products as contaminants persent in raw materials and they can also be the result of additives such as formaldehyde releasing or formaldahyde containing chemicals such as 2-bromo-2nitroprpane-1, 3-diol (BNPD or Bronopol), Padimate -O (octyl dimethyl PABA), DMDM hyddantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolindinyl urea and quatermium 15 (I think I have spelt all those correctly!)
Stored for extended periods at elevated temperatures nitrates will continue to form in a product. Surveys in US and Europe have shown that between 42 and 93% of all detergent based products contain nitrosamines.
Phew! The author then lists detergents which are the most worrying and which include
Ammonium laureth sulphate
Ammonium lauryl sulphate
Cocamide DEA
Cocamide MEA
Cocamidoproply betain
DEA
lauryl sulphate
glyceryl laurate
Lauramide MEA
sodium laureth sulphate
sodium lauryl sulphate
Says if products you use contain these you should write to the manufacturers asking them why they dont use safer detergents such as..
Cocoa betaine
Cocoa glucoside
Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine
decyl glucose
decyl polyglucose
sorbitan stearate
There are others but brain is starting to hurt!
Makes for interesting reading. Its all quite scarey really, especially when you think how many products seem to contain detergents and therefore how many detergents you can be exposed to on a daily basis.
sodium lauryl sulfoacetate wasn't mentioned, so I am afraid that I can't help you with that one - anyone else know if this is a nasty or a goody?!
Ok, i'm on a self imposed here ban at the mo but i've been getting confused! Just what is it that we're supposed to be avoiding? I thoulght it was SLSs which make things foam, because they were not natural.
But Lavere (supposedly 100% natural) use SLS and i've just found this:
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
Derived from coconut and palm oils; a safe, skin-friendly surfactant (foaming agent) for both skin and hair. This mild plant derived surfactant creates a rich, luxurious lather that effectively removes surface oil, dirt and bacteria, without stripping or drying sensitive skin. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is also hydrophilic. This means it is attracted to water, which enables it to dissolve more readily in water, thus providing superior rinseablility.
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate vs. Sodium lauryl sulfate
Although an ingredient's name may sound similar to another, it does not mean that the molecules are similar with respect to shape, size, performance or even function. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate sounds similar to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, however, the two molecules are quite different from each other. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a large molecule ingredient. Large molecule ingredients are considered to be mild, gentle, and non-irritating, as they cannot penetrate the skin. In contrast, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a small molecule ingredient, and is capable of penetrating the skin, which can increase the occurrence of skin irritation.
on an ingredients website. Can someone clear the mystery up for me?
Answers:
Can't help with this one as its mainly parabens that I am avoiding.
It sounds a bit like the first one you mentioned is a natural derivative and the second a chemical derivative - not that I would know lol!!
nell
Answers:
Pat Thomas in the Ecologist wrote an article this month on detergents in skin care (http://www.theecologist.org/current.asp); can't find my copy at the moment (filed carefully away!) but will try and hunt it out tomorrow.
Answers:
Funny you should mention this, I have just been reading up on the same thing on the internet, after realising that my dermalogica wash contains sodium laureth sulfate (don't know what the difference is between laureth and lauryl).
Dermalogica state that they "Use only the finest ingredients available, all Dermalogica products are non-comedogenic and contain no occlusive mineral oil or lanolin, no irritating artificial colors or fragrance, and no drying S.D. alcohol".
I'm none the wiser really, but I am beginning to think that my skin reacts badly to anything containing sodium laureth sulfate, as the only wash I've used so far that didn't dry my skin out was clean & clear cream wash, and this doesn't contain sls.......
Saying that, SLS is in johnsons baby wash and other products renowned for being mild & gentle, which is the only thing I'm worried about.....
Answers:
Have just found this month's copy of the Ecologist. There is an article in it called Read the Label : Detergents. Can't find it online so will try to summarise it!
Body washes, shampoos, shower gels, facial washes etc rely on detergents to clean and provide foaming properties.
Anionic detergents are a group of detergents most commonly found in skin, body and hair care products. Problems - they can be harsh (used in industry to degrease engines!)
Foam no adds no cleaning ability - but manufacturers believe we want foamy formulations so add more and more detergents to give us lots of lather. The more detergent is added to a product the more other ingredients are needed to counteract the harsh nature of the detergent and to limit any skin reaction to the detergent.
Anionic detergents on their own are unlikely to be toxic. But because they are so harsh they can strip the hair and skin of protective oils, increasing risk of dry skin and the absorption of other chemicals into the blood stream.
Can also be harmful in other ways - Some, esp those ending with eth eg Sodium laureth sulphate can be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4-dioxane. Other detergents such as DEA (diethanolamine) can interact with other ingredients in the mix to form carcinogenic nitrosamines.
DEA and its related compounds such as TEA and MEA (triethanolamine and monoethanolamine) can be found in loads of products that foam eg body washes. Once added to product they react with any nitrates present to form the carcinogenic nitrosamine NDLEA (N-nitrosoiethanolamine). Nitrosamines are the major carcinogens in cigarettes and cured meats.
Nitrates get into personal care products as contaminants persent in raw materials and they can also be the result of additives such as formaldehyde releasing or formaldahyde containing chemicals such as 2-bromo-2nitroprpane-1, 3-diol (BNPD or Bronopol), Padimate -O (octyl dimethyl PABA), DMDM hyddantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolindinyl urea and quatermium 15 (I think I have spelt all those correctly!)
Stored for extended periods at elevated temperatures nitrates will continue to form in a product. Surveys in US and Europe have shown that between 42 and 93% of all detergent based products contain nitrosamines.
Phew! The author then lists detergents which are the most worrying and which include
Ammonium laureth sulphate
Ammonium lauryl sulphate
Cocamide DEA
Cocamide MEA
Cocamidoproply betain
DEA
lauryl sulphate
glyceryl laurate
Lauramide MEA
sodium laureth sulphate
sodium lauryl sulphate
Says if products you use contain these you should write to the manufacturers asking them why they dont use safer detergents such as..
Cocoa betaine
Cocoa glucoside
Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine
decyl glucose
decyl polyglucose
sorbitan stearate
There are others but brain is starting to hurt!
Makes for interesting reading. Its all quite scarey really, especially when you think how many products seem to contain detergents and therefore how many detergents you can be exposed to on a daily basis.
sodium lauryl sulfoacetate wasn't mentioned, so I am afraid that I can't help you with that one - anyone else know if this is a nasty or a goody?!