5 Potentially Toxic Ingredients in Your Shampoo and Conditioner
Friday, August 27th, 2010
Watch out! The hair care products you use every day may contain potentially toxic ingredients.
Natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola lists five risky chemicals in many shampoos and conditioners that could be robbing you and your family of better health.
1. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
The same ingredient producing all that foam and lather when you shampoo your hair is used in car washes and garages as a degreasing agent.
Sodium lauryl sulfate is a penetration enhancer. It allows other potentially toxic ingredients to slip into your bloodstream.
The Environmental Working Group’s “Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews” studies on SLS have also linked the chemical to:
- Irritation of skin and eyes
- Organ toxicity
- Developmental / reproductive toxicity
- Neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicological, and biochemical or cellular changes
- Possible mutations and cancer
2. Dioxane
In 2007, he medical journal, Cancer, reviewed mammary carcinogens and identified dioxane as one of the 216 chemicals linked to breast cancer in rodents.
“Back in 1985, the FDA recognized these dangers, and requested that manufacturers voluntarily limit dioxane levels in cosmetics and personal-care products to 10 parts per million. But it hasn’t happened,” says Dr. Mercola.
Los Angeles Times staff writer Marla Cone reported in February 2007 that all 18 personal care products (for both adults and children) tested by an independent laboratory were contaminated with high levels of dioxane.
3. Diethanolamine (DEA)
DEA readily reacts with nitrite preservatives and contaminants to create nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA), a known potent carcinogen. In a recent FDA report, around 42% of all cosmetics were contaminated with NDEA.
4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Yes, this is the same MSG you should avoid in your food! It is often deceptively referred to as amino acids, yeast extract, nayad, glutamic acid, or glutamates in your shampoo.
According to the FDA, its side effects include numbness, burning sensations, tingling, facial pressure, headaches, nausea, drowsiness, and weakness.
5. Propylene Glycol
This active ingredient is found in engine coolants and antifreeze, airplane de-icers, tire sealants, rubber cleaners, polyurethane cushions, paints, adhesives, enamels and varnishes, and in many products as a solvent or surfactant.
“Propylene glycol is likely in your shampoo, despite the material safety data sheet warning users to avoid skin contact with it. It is a strong skin irritant and can also cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage,” reveals Dr. Mercola.
So what’s keeping you from going natural today?
Dr. Mercola recommends natural hair care options like Volumizing Shampoo and Revitalizing Conditioner that are free of these harmful toxins. Not only will they keep your scalp and long locks safe, but they also improve your hair’s texture and strength without stripping away essential oils.
Unlike other soap-based natural shampoos, they have a purifying formula that helps eliminates buildup from your hair and scalp.
The bottom line is you get the same excellent results for your hair without the harmful toxins. “Remember, what you place on your skin may end up going directly into your bloodstream,” Dr. Mercola says.
