There are many questions you might be asking about different ingredients in your Bath & Body Products. In this post, I'd like to discuss a couple of those ingredients to shed some light on common ingredients used.
Many people have long heard about Parabens, how toxic this ingredient is and already try to avoid them.
The use of parabens in cosmetics really started back in the 1950's. If you're not familiar with them, parabens are a class of preservatives used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals that are highly effective in preventing growth of fungi, bacteria and yeast. Parabens are derived from Parahydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) that occur naturally from some fruits and veggies.
Parabens gained a pretty bad rap back in 2004 when an article was published about traces of parabens being found in breast cancer tissue samples. If you search for Parabens on the internet, you find article after article discussing their link to breast cancer and how they're hormone disruptors. I was surprised to find a few articles that stated otherwise, including this one (in case you're interested)
https://bit.ly/34BAxm7
So, what are you looking for on your ingredients list if you want to avoid parabens?
Here are some examples:
Methylparaben,
Ethylparaben,
Propylparaben,
Butylparaben,
Isopropylparaben and Isobutylparaben.
Not to worry! Whether Parabens are, in fact, bad for you or not- at Essential Wellness Bodycare, I do not use preservatives that contain them.
Next on the list- Sulfates.
What are they? What are they used for?
Sulfate is a salt that forms when sulfuric acid reacts with another chemical. Used as cleansing agents found in shampoos, bath bombs, liquid soaps, even baby products etc. are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Both have been known to be irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs. Sulfates create a lathering effect to remove dirt and oil.
Sulfates are derived from petroleum and can contain cancer-causing chemicals such as ethylene oxide.
Some examples of sulfates to look for are:
Alkylbenzene Sulfonate,
Ammonium Laureth or Lauryl Sulfate,
Ammonium or Sodium Xylenesulfonate,
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate,
Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate,
Sodium Myreth Sulfate,
Ethyl PEG-15 cocamine sulfate,
Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate-to name a few.
SLS is a common ingredient used in bath bombs produced by many well-known companies. It gives off a foaming effect and the cost is cheaper than other surfactants. If you've ever used a bath bomb and found it to be irritating to your skin, check out the list of ingredients to see if it's there.
Do you need to avoid them? Only you can answer that! If you search for sulfates online, you'll find conflicting articles. Some focus only on how irritating these ingredients are to the skin and scalp, while others (like this one:
https://bit.ly/34IgIdb ) talk about their misrepresentation.
Whether you're trying to avoid them, or not too worried about it, I say no to sulfates in my products as there are more gentle alternatives available.
I've found that many people struggle with sensitive skin and different skin conditions, so I aim to keep my products as gentle as possible.
In closing, I will say that it's important to research rather than just trust what you hear. It's important to know what it is you're trying to avoid and why.
Want to check out some awesome bodycare products? See what all I've got in stock here:
Always feel free to send a message if you have any questions or concerns.
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