Beware of the Foam!

I was recently at Target, and decided to look at the personal care products to see if they had any shampoos that did not contain any carcinogenic or neurotoxic substances. I could not find a single one! One of the chemicals that kept coming up as one of the main ingredients in these products is sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate. There are only slight variations as to what they do. One is slightly milder than the other; however, they both cause the foaming action in soaps, toothpastes, and shampoos. This is perceived to be a good thing, as a lot of people associate foaming with cleaning. I know that it kind of freaked me out the first time I used a toothpaste that didn't foam. Now, I am glad that there are products out there that do not foam.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is "used in garage floor cleaners, engine degreaser, car-wash soaps"(1) and cleans via corrosion. It is a skin irritant that "penetrate[s] into the eyes as well as heart, liver, etc, and [has] long-term retention in the tissue(1)." Additionally, it has been known to cause cataracts. (Imagine, every time you accidentally get shampoo in your eyes when you shower, this chemical is leaching its way through your eyeball and attacking it and other vital organs in your body.) It also can attack the follicles and cause hair loss to occur. It "dries skin by stripping the lipids from the surface so it can't effectively regulate moisture(1)." Also, to make things worse, it has the potential to be carcinogenic when contaminated with nitrates.

Sodium lauryl sulfate absorbs through the skin into the body. When this happens it can also mimic oestrogen, which can decrease male fertility, increase female cancers, and increase PMS and menopausal symptoms(2).

Personally, I have frequently has issues with using soaps and shampoos because of the drying effect that they have on my hands. I get out of the shower, and I immediately have to apply lotion or else I cannot stand for my hands to be attached to my body anymore. I never knew why this was the case. I once even had the theory that it had something to do with whatever chemicals may be in the city water. Now I know, and it scares me a lot.

The same day I went to Target, I also frequented various other retail stores. At Wal-Mart, I was faced with the same problem. I could not find a toothpaste, or shampoo, that did not have this chemical. Finally, I found some products in the organic section of Hannaford that did not contain it. However, with the $10+ price tag, and my budget as tight as it has to be, I'm stuck with using the cheapo poison that I always have used. Hopefully, by the time I run out of my Dove Moisturizing Shampoo (that lists its first ingredient as being sodium lauryl sulfate), then I will be able to afford the stuff that doesn't contain this chemical.

I'm pretty sure we, as a nation, and as an universal population, can do better than this. We need to take a stand, and let these companies know that we will not tolerate these poisons in our showers, bathrooms, or households any longer! We need to get these harmful products banned from store shelves, and we need to get the prices of the poison-free products lowered so they can be more affordable for everyone. I do not care how cheap sodium lauryl sulfate is to produce. I can live without the foam! I cannot live with garage floor cleaner or car engine degreaser absorbing into and affecting my body!

Sources:
(1) Dangers of sodium lauryl sulfate
(2) Effects of sodium lauryl sulfate