SLS – The Seriously Loathsome Substance

We all check our food meticulously, watching out for nasties such as too much salt or sugar, e numbers, scary sounding chemicals. Because you wouldn’t want to knowingly eat something that would cause you harm.

So why don’t we do the same with our toiletries and cosmetics?

Scary fact – on applying a soap, cream, makeup etc. to your skin, some of its chemicals will enter your bloodstream within 26 seconds. Yikes. According to slsfree.net the average woman applies 200 chemicals to her body on a daily basis, of which 60% will enter her bloodstream.

SLS is the abbreviated name for Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. It’s widely used in the personal care industry and can be found in all manner of products including shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste and mouthwash.

You may also just LOVE to know that SLS is an industrial degreaser and detergent, and is used to irritate skin ahead of testing new healing products.

So why is it in so many of the toiletries that you most likely buy on a regular basis?

SLS is great for creating a rich and foamy lather, so it looks great to you as a consumer. You’ll feel like your shampoo is making your hair super clean, so naturally you’d want to keep buying the product.

It also dries out your skin, so you’re more inclined to purchase additional products to alleviate this; i.e. moisturisers and conditioners. A crafty way for manufacturers to squeeze yet more money out of their consumers. Interestingly, many of the well-known brands are owned by the same holding companies.

So what’s the alternative? Well, it’s nature.

Natural products are so much kinder not only on your body but also on the planet. Don’t forget that every time you bathe, the chemicals in your toiletries enter the sewage system and ultimately end up in natural water courses. Something tells me that the eco system won’t appreciate a dose of industrial detergent…

Natural soaps don’t dry your skin, and many are made with ingredients such as essential oils which moisturise your skin without clogging your pores. So soft skin and less break outs. And if you have eczema like me, you can expect a huge decrease in flare ups.

Because you’re not wasting your products in creating endless unnecessary foam, you’ll find that natural products last much longer – saving you money too!

I made the move to SLS free products a couple of years ago and haven’t looked back since. My absolute favourite supplier is Fresh Naturals – a Yorkshire based, cruelty free business with a huge focus on quality, value, and customer service. Check it out, you won’t regret it.

L xx