Could your favorite soap be dangerous?
Poisonous, toxic, maybe cancerous? What you are about to read may alarm you. Afterward, you may never look at your favorite soap or body wash the same way. But first, take a look at the ingredients commonly found in your most popular brand name soaps and body washes.
Sodium lauryl sulfate (sls), sodium lauryl sulfate (sles), paraben, triethanolamine (tea), sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium lauroyl isethionate, mineral oil, sodium tallowate, lard, cocamidopropyl betaine, olefin sulfonate, bht, fragrances, artificial dyes, and titanium dioxide – These ingredients can not only cause and / or irritate skin conditions known as dermatitis, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis, but are reportedly much more dangerous to your health.
Four common culprits up close
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS / SLES) are anionic surfactants that are used to make body soaps, body soaps, face soaps, foaming products, laundry detergent, engine degreaser, floor cleaner, and more. According to the MSDS, these surfactants cause severe skin and eye irritation and contact with skin, eyes, and clothing should be avoided. Also, when combined with other chemicals, it can create nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are carcinogenic and are related to cancer. It is reported that SLS and SLES can damage the skin’s immune system by causing the layers to separate and swell. These two surfactants will generally be disguised as “they come from the coconut.”
Parabens are common preservatives found in soap bars, cosmetics, and deodorants and will have one of these four prefixes: methyl, ethyl, butyl, and propyl. Some studies have concluded that parabens are safe and do not pose an immediate threat to the health of users.
However, other studies, such as the one conducted by UK scientists, revealed that 18 out of 20 breast tumor samples tested had high concentrations of parabens. They were able to back up their findings with the fact that parabens copy the hormone estrogen, which is known for its role in the development of breast cancer. [1]
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) is a synthetic additive that contains toluene. Toluene is poisonous. According to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), toluene can cause respiratory problems, dizziness, drowsiness and, in high concentrations, death. Toluene also irritates the skin, eyes, and lungs.
Triethanolamine (TEA), like all amines generally found in soaps, body washes, and creams, contains nitrogen that can create nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are carcinogenic and are related to cancer.
Your best defense is education
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved all of the above ingredients for consumer use. The claim is that, in small amounts, these ingredients are not harmful. However, the truth is that the FDA cannot and will not offer a guarantee that an ingredient approved by them is safe. And how can they do it when long-term studies are not done in control settings? All they can really do is hope for the best and, if something tragic happens, recall all products that contain these harmful ingredients and issue a warning. This is simply not good enough.
1 “Importance of the detection of p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters (parabens) in human breast tumors”. Journal of Applied Toxicology.