Then two days ago, I was still pondering about this organic topic while I was washing my hands. Then, suddenly "click", I could begin with soap.
So here we are, 1st Organic subject - Organic Soaps.
And I will begin with harmful chemicals found in commercial soaps.
When we buy soaps for washing hands or bathing, we tend to choose soaps that produce lot of foam because most of us have this impression that thicker lather means better or deeper cleaning. Agree?
Foam Chemicals
In the commercial soaps, the chemical ingredients that cause soaps to foam are known as surfactants. The most widely used are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) because they are one of the most effective foaming agents.
What are the side effects?
According to some study reports, SLS and SLES are found to have potential effects that can be detrimental to health. Some severe ones include
Skin irritation or corrosion - SLS is also known to be effective in dissolving oils or grease. So it removes oil from your skin causing a drying effect which in turn causing irritation. Besides drying effect, studies had found that SLS denatures skin protein allowing the lower layers of the skin exposing to external contaminants.
Eye irritation or deformities in children - Tests had shown that SLS could cause eye damage in young animals when it was absorbed through the skin. So be more vigilant when you are getting products for your children.
Protein Denaturing - SLS disrupts the process of replacing old cells with healthy new ones, which may cause skin layers separating and inflaming, In some cases, it can lead to early stage of skin cancer.
Fragrance Chemicals
Besides foam, another major component in the commercial soaps that uses chemicals is Fragrance, and most of the fragrance are synthetic chemicals scents. Some of the common chemicals found in the synthetic fragrance include:
- Benzaldehyde
- Benzyl Alcohol
- Limonene (used for its lemon-like flavor and odor)
- a-Terpineol (lilac odor)
- Toluene (methyl benzene)
Point to note - a fragrance having a botanical sounding name does not necessary mean that it comes from a natural source. Fruit fragrance such as watermelon, peach, apple, strawberry and many others are all synthetic chemical scents.
The possible side effects claimed:
- causing eye, throat, lung and skin irritation
- causing dizziness, headache, nausea
- damaging organs such as lungs, liver, kidney, heart, centre nervous system
Other harmful synthetic additives in the soap are FD&C colors, dyes, antibacterial triclosan & triclocarban, EDTA, TEA, DEA ... the list is long, so I will not go through them in detailed over here. I guess you have got the point, these chemicals used for the fragrance are found to be not kind to your health or the environment.
So why are harmful chemicals used in commercial soap?
I guess you also know the answer - they are cheap to produce and can be produced in large quantity easily.
The bottom line is that try to avoid soap or other body care products when you don't recognize or can't even pronounce ingredients with chemical sounding names in the label.
For the sake of our personal health, if there are natural or organic alternatives that are free from chemicals and easily available, then why not giving them a try.
Yes, organic products are known to be more expensive, but again, they are well worth it in terms of your health and the health of our planet. Think about it.
That's all for now.
Let's Learn & Experience Organic for Better Personal Health and Our Planet Wellness.
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