Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or No Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – You decide

On my personal journey of living with fragrance and chemical sensitivities, I’ve encountered many people along the way with a similar condition. As our environment becomes increasingly toxic, people are encountering sensitivities that they’ve never had before. What amazes me is the fact that some people would rather use products such as laundry detergent, hair products, cosmetics, deodorant with these allergens knowing without a doubt that it’s triggering a reaction.

Over the years, because of my own sensitivities, I’ve educated myself about the numbers of untried, unchallenged chemicals in most of our products; I felt it was necessary for my health and well-being to find out first hand.

So with all that said, let’s examine a chemical that’s found in our hair care products, toothpaste, etc. If you conduct research on this particular ingredient - Sodium Lauryl Sulfate on the internet you may discover, just as I did, two sides to this story, myths and facts. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a foaming agent and is considered to be a skin irritant. To those who are highly sensitive it can trigger an allergic reaction. You’ll notice a lot of products on the market today contain “No SLS”. The majority of these types of products are found at your local health food store.

Now, if we look at SLS-free shampoos, specifically, most of the complaints stem from the product’s inability to lather or clean their hair properly. The result is that the health-conscious consumer has to use half a bottle to get their hair clean.

In the coming weeks, we’re going to conduct a product comparison. We’re going to test SLS products against Non-SLS products. Stay tuned for the results.

Which products are best for you Organic or Natural?

As a person speaking from experience, I’ve lived the last few years being cautious as to what I use on my skin and hair because of sensitivities. I’ve had to learn not to purchase products based upon what they claim the product delivers.

In this blog, I decided to examine the most popular trends on the market today – Organic and Natural hair care products. Clearly you’d think these are the best products to use since they are organic and natural products, right? For the most part, they are the best products on the market, but for whom? For a person with sensitivities they can trigger an allergic reaction.

For a person who has no sensitivities they can be very beneficial.

Organic products speak for themselves. They are usually plant-based, with naturally derived ingredients such as pure essential oils, gentle preservatives and non-petroleum ingredients. As for Natural products they usually contain essential oils, herbs, some will contain chemicals and some products do not. You’ll usually find the ones without chemicals in your local health food stores, where their standards are higher. They will either limit or completely eliminate products with harsh ingredients.

Now let’s say you’re an allergy sufferer like me. you must learn to read labels…period! After a long day of work, I’m sure that’s the last thing you want to do is read labels on hair care products, etc. But in order to save money, your health and your time, you have to turn that bottle around and decipher those ingredients. Since I know I’m allergic to lavender, if I were to pick up a product that stated it contained lavender I’d quickly place it back on the shelf.

A very good strategy if you want to save money is to go to a beauty supply store, ask if they have samples of a product you noticed on their shelf or write the manufacturer and see if they give samples. Then you conduct a skin test. Apply the product in a sensitive area (behind the ear or on the wrist) and you probably will not have to wait 24 hours to determine if you’re allergic to it. With me, there would normally be a fragrance issue, headaches, irritated throat, or my skin would become irritated.

Since knowledge is power, you too can educate yourself and make wise decisions before purchasing your next beauty products. Until next time, read those labels!