What are sulfates and why you should be aware of them
What are they?
Sulfates are the components in your shampoos, bubble bath, soap, toothpaste, face wash, laundry soaps, etc. that make them foam and lather. Sulfates are aggressive detergents that work effectively to remove dirt and grime. They are surfactants which means they attract both oil and water and therefore this is what makes them effective at removing dirt and grime so easily. Sulfates are not only used in personal care products; they are also used to degrease heavy machinery.
Commonly used forms of sulfates include:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
Health and Safety Concerns
If you are anything like me, the foaming quality in my hair and skincare products is what made me feel like my skin and hair were in fact squeaky clean. However, sulfates can be a bit of an aggressive cleaning agent. Sulfates strip the protective barriers that lock moisture in. Therefore, they can leave the hair or skin feeling dried out and dehydrated. And if your skin or scalp is particularly sensitive, sulfates can be very irritating to the skin. While sulfates on their own are not carcinogens, SLES is commonly contaminated with 1,4-dioxane ( a known carcinogen), a byproduct of a petrochemical process called ethoxylation, which is used to process other chemicals in order to make them less harsh.
Safer Options
If you are considering eliminating sulfates from your products, Beautycounter is a great place to start. Did you know that SLS and SLES are on Beautycounter’s Never list. Beautycounter’s Never List is made up of over 1,800 ingredients harmful or questionable harmful ingredients that are never used in their products. Currently, the US only bans 30, Canada bans 600, and the European Union bans 1,400. Beautycounter goes above and beyond to ensure that health and safety is a top priority as well as performance.
Did you know that 61% of children’s bath products that were tested contained both 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde? If the label contains the word fragrance, it is likely that it has formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is another known carcinogen.
Switching over to Beautycounter’s Kids Bath and Body products was one of my first clean swaps. Not only do they smell amazing, they are free of sulfates, parabans, and harmful chemicals.
The EWG skin deep healthy living app is an amazing resource to scan your current products to get their safety rating. If you do not yet have this app on your phone, download it today!
Sources
https://www.beautycounter.com/the-never-list
https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/706089-sodium_laureth_sulfate/
https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/706110-SODIUM_LAURYL_SULFATE/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK153666/
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet