Have you ever stopped to wonder what’s in your shampoo? Ever looked with curiosity at the list of ingredients on the back? Of course, even if you DID look at them, how many could you identify let alone pronounce? These are some of the questions that I started having, and the answers are quite shocking! For instance, you wouldn’t even think twice about your shampoo possibly giving you cancer years down the road, but when the digging begins, so do the surprises.
I haven’t been that thrilled with my hair as of late. I’ve tried different products to help it look shiny and soft, but all I get at the end of the day is flat, fuzzy, dull hair that could cause serious depression. So instead of paying yet another lump of dough, I decided research was in order and here’s just a smidgen of what I found.
A couple very scary ingredients in all popular commercial brand shampoos:
Sufates/SLS: aka sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate.
Shampoo’s not the only product containing these cancer causing, dirt and grease breaking, take-up-residence-in-your vital organs ingredients. Now here’s a big kicker: these ingredients actually inhibit hair growth! What will we find out next?? This one takes the lead in dangerous ingredients. Google it and see for yourself all the warnings and disconcerting evidence.
Propylene Glycol and PEG:
This one is in soaps, creams, lotions, deodorants, beauty products and foods. Guess what else this is used for: hydraulic fluid, brake fluid and industrial antifreeze. What happens when this hits the skin? It can cause kidney damage and liver abnormalities. The troublesome thing is this chemical is very common in cosmetics. Maybe what’s more perplexing is it’s considered toxic and must be treated as a hazardous waste when disposed of. So why is it used? It’s less expensive than natural ingredients, which means more profits for companies. Truly so many things can be narrowed down to money.
Unfortunately, a lot of ingredients found in the common products we use everyday are linked to major health issues, whether immediately or in the long term. Children are more prone to problems than adults because their systems absorb easier. So if you’re not exactly interested in digging up product facts for yourself, consider being more concerned for your kids!
Here’s a link to more detailed information on the side affects of ingredients found in our everyday routines.
http://www.healthfoodemporium.com/index_dangerous-ingredients.php
You can either make your own shampoo concoctions, or look into buying herbal shampoo. Be cautious when buying “natural” shampoos. Check ingredients thoroughly before purchasing as some can be misleading.
I have begun my journey to finding better more natural hair care. In the next few weeks I’ll be posting results along with recipes on making your own shampoo and conditioner. One thing to remember is when quitting regular shampoos, it may take a few weeks before hair and scalp adjust…not really looking forward to it, but supposedly there’s a beautiful light at the end of the tunnel! I shall see….
More links to detailed and shocking information about products we use and depend on:
http://www.thenaturalskincarecompany.co.uk/msg22.htm
http://thenaturalshop.stores.yahoo.net/harin.html |
