5 REASONS TO USE SLS FREE PRODUCTS

Many of you may of heard about the term "SLS Free" or "Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Free" as a product claim but may not know what the benefits are of using SLS free products.  

What is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: SLS is a cheap and very widely used chemical that gives products their lather ability. It breaks surface tension and separates molecules in order to allow better interaction between the product and your skin. It is highly irritating and is found in shampoos, mouthwash, soaps, detergents (commerial ones), skin care and body wash.  

Reason #1 to go SLS Free:

The International Journal of Toxicity recommends no more than 1% in products which are being used on a regular basis. At 1% people can get scalp, skin and gums irritation. They have provided a safety assessment on SLS, to outline this. Many cleaning products contain 10-20% SLS!

Reason #2 to go SLS Free:

In addition to SLS being a skin irritant there have been studies that show excess levels being found in brain, lungs, liver and the heart. This was from SLS being used frequently on the scalp, skin and in toothpaste.  

Reason #3 to go SLS Free:

It may affect your hormones. Like use women need any more influences over our hormones! SLS mimics estrogen and it is possible that SLS may play a role in PMT, PMS and menopause symptoms. So even if your products are 1% or less, the question is how much of the SLS over time gets absorbed into your blood stream and how long does it remain there for?

Reason #4 to go SLS Free:

SLS is responsible for a process called protein denaturing. Why is this important? If proteins in a living cell are denatured, this results in disruption of cell activity and possibly cell death. The protein can no longer perform its function once it has been denatured. In some cases once the irritant, in this case SLS is removed the protein may have an ability to heal itself.

Reason #5 to go SLS Free:

In children SLS has been linked to eye irritation and poor eye development. Even if applied to the skin, the SLS can be absorbed into the blood stream and cause eye issues. SLS can remain in the body for up to 5 days, so if you are using daily, SLS will be constantly in your system.

We love using SLS free products (click the link to shop) in our clinic room and in our skin care line. The foaming quality of SLS can be replicated with natural alternatives. SLS is one to check on your product label!