How to Tell If Your Shampoo Is Harming Your Health
When most people get in the shower and start lathering up their hair with shampoo, they think about the work they need to get done or what to make for dinner. Few of them really think about what is in their shampoo, though.
When it comes to shampoo, you might think of the cost, suitability for your hair type (for example, ideal for color-treated hair), fragrance, or your perception of the effectiveness of that shampoo.
What you really need to be thinking about are the ingredients in that shampoo and how they might pose serious risks to your health. Read the label on your bottle of shampoo, and if it has any of these ingredients, switch to something else immediately.
1 Propylene glycol
This skin irritant is highly toxic and most damaging to the organs inside your body. It also causes your body to absorb other chemicals through the skin. You can get a good shampoo that does not have this that will still leave your locks luscious.
2 Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
Ever get shampoo in your eyes and experience a horrible burning sensation? While getting anything into your eyes is an unpleasant experience, SLS is an extremely toxic irritant that is even more dangerous for your children and their proper eye development. It is also potentially damaging to the environment. Double yuck!
Read also – 4 Tricks to Keep Your Hair Color Shiny and Bright
3 Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)
Since this ingredient is often mixed with ethylene dioxide or 1-4 dioxane, it is one of the most dangerous items in your shampoo. It has the potential to cause cancer as well as reproductive problems. It also irritates the skin and eyes.
4 DEA/TEA
Toxic to your organs and immune system, this is one ingredient you definitely do not want on your body. It is also potentially carcinogenic and could cause allergies. Additionally, because it is often contaminated with nitrosamines, it is extremely dangerous for your digestive and reproductive systems as well as your liver.
5 PEG
This toxic chemical often has ethylene dioxide or 1-4 dioxane in it just like sodium laureth sulfate. It is another frightening ingredient for your body.
It is scary to think that the items we trust every day to care for our bodies could be doing us all serious harm. On the plus side, though, there are now more and more options for safe personal care products coming on the market for comparable prices that can give your hair the bounce and shine you are after.
Read also – 7 DIY Shampoos for Dry Scalp
Let the big companies that are profiting from your harmed health hear your voice by spending your money on products that are safe for you and the environment. By doing so, you will help shape the demand in the market for products that are better for everyone now and in the future too.
Plus, remember, you can always make your own shampoo with the ingredients you can find in your kitchen.
