Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). What it is, where to find it and how to avoid it.

 SLES 中文叫“月桂醇聚醚硫酸酯钠”, SLS 中文叫 十二烷基硫酸鈉鹽，是一種去汙力很強的表面活性劑，以前是用來洗車，清潔地板用的，現在居然也加到牙膏，洗碗劑，肥皂，洗發水裏了！因爲便宜！ 難怪有這麽多人得癌症！看看我們的皮膚每天都在吸收什麽樣的東西！

 SLES and SLS are used to clean cars, floors etc. because of their strong cleaning effect. How did they end up in our toothpaste, dish detergent, soap and shampoo? Because it is cheap! No wonder there are so many people suffering from cancer nowadays. Look what we absorb into our body every day!

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Both Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and its close relative Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) 十二烷基聚氧乙醚硫酸鈉 are commonly used in many soaps, shampoos, detergents, toothpastes and other products that we expect to "foam up". Both chemicals are very effective foaming agents, chemically known as surfactants.

Unfortunately, both sodium laureth sulfate and its cousin are also very dangerous, highly irritating chemicals. Far from giving "healthy shining hair" and "beautiful skin", soaps and shampoos containing sodium laureth sulfate can lead to direct damage to the hair follicle, skin damage, permanent eye damage in children and even liver toxicity.

Although sodium laureth sulfate is somewhat less irritating than SLS, it cannot be metabolised by the liver and its effects are therefore much longer-lasting. This not only means it stays in the body tissues for longer, but much more precious energy is used getting rid of it.

A report published in the Journal of The American College of Toxicology in 1983 showed that concentrations of SLS as low as 0.5% could cause irritation and concentrations of 10-30% caused skin corrosion and severe irritation. National Institutes of Health "Household Products Directory" of chemical ingredients lists over 80 products that contain SLS and SLES. Some soaps have concentrations of up to 30%, which the ACT report called "highly irritating and dangerous".

Shampoos are among the most frequently reported products to the FDA. Reports include eye irritation, scalp irritation, tangled hair, swelling of the hands, face and arms and split and fuzzy hair. This is highly characteristic of sodium laureth sulfate and almost definitely directly related to its use.

Click here to learn of the possible health effects of sodium laureth sulfate

So why is a dangerous chemical like sodium laureth sulfate used in our soaps and shampoos?

The answer is simple - it is cheap. The sodium laureth sulfate found in our soaps is exactly the same as you would find in a car wash or even a garage, where it is used to degrease car engines.

In the same way as it dissolves the grease on car engines, SLES also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause a drying effect. It is also well documented that itdenatures skin proteins, which causes not only irritation, but also allows environmental contaminants easier access to the lower, sensitive layers of the skin.

This denaturing of skin proteins may even be implicated in skin and other cancers.

Perhaps most worryingly, sodium laureth sulfate is also absorbed into the body from skin application. Once it has been absorbed, one of the main effects of SLS is to mimic the activity of the hormone Oestrogen. This has many health implications and may be responsible for a variety of health problems from PMS and Menopausal symptoms todropping male fertility and increasing female cancers such as breast cancer, where oestrogen levels are known to be involved.

Products commonly found to contains SLS or Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Soaps
Shampoos
Bubble-baths
Tooth paste
Washing-up liquid / dish soap
Laundry detergent
Childrens soaps / shampoos
Stain Remover
Carpet Cleaner
Fabric glue
Body wash
Shave cream
Mascara
Mouthwash
Skin cleanser
Moisture lotion / Moisturiser
Sun Cream

To find hair, personal and household products without ANY SLS or other harmful chemicals, please click this link - SLS-free products.

The use of sodium laureth sulfate in childrens products is particularly worrying. It is known that, whether it gets in the eyes or not, skin application DOES lead to measurable concentrations in the eyes of children. This is known to affect eye development, and the damage caused in this manner is irreversible. If you have children DO NOT USE products containing sodium laureth sulfate or SLS - they will thank you for it one day.

Do not believe that just because a product is labeled as "natural" it is free from SLS or sodium laureth sulfate. Most common brands of "Natural" or "Herbal" shampoos and cleansers still use these harmful chemicals as their main active ingredient - check your labels!

That is not to say that you can't get sodium laureth sulfate-free shampoos, soaps, detergents and toothpastes. Some highly reputable companies have been producing such products for years. These products not only contains no sodium laureth sulfate, they are also free of other harmful chemical colorings, preservatives and even flavourings.

http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/sodium-laureth-sulfate.html

紅泥皂/Red Clay Soap

 成分：

extra virgin橄欖油，椰子油，棕櫚油，白油，可可脂，蒸餾水，純鹼，澳洲紅泥，青黛粉。

可可脂有助於加快trace 並增加皂硬度。我用了太多的紅泥和太少的青黛粉，導致紅色壓過藍色。

Coco butter helps to trace fast, and hardens the soap. I used too much red clay and too little indigo powder so it is a regret that the red color overwhelms the blue color.

Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, vegetable shortening, rice bran oil, coco butter, distilled water, lye, Australian red clay, indigo powder.

笑臉皂/Smiley Soap

Deadly and Dangerous Shampoos, Toothpastes, and Detergents

The following article was written by Dr. Mercola, a respectable American dentist. It is a long essay, but it is worth of reading, lot of shocking! and useful information. 

I can't agree more with Dr. Mercola that your skin is vital to your health because it has the ability to absorb much of what you put on it. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of this fact.

                                   

By Dr. Mercola

Personal care products have become a $50-billion industry in the United States. You are seduced on a daily basis by the intoxicating aromas, flashy packaging, and enticing promises of everlasting youth these products offer.

But what is the real cost of applying these products to your body?

If I were to tell you that your personal care products could be putting you at risk for hair and skin damage, immunological problems, damage to your eyes, and possibly even cancer, would you pay a little more attention to their ingredients?

The growing awareness of chemicals in the foods you eat has led many of you to begin reading labels. If you are doing this as part of your regular shopping routine, I commend you, and you will likely live longer for it. But what about the products you are smearing all over yourself?

• Eye makeup can be absorbed by your highly sensitive mucous membranes.
• Hair sprays, perfumes and powders can be inhaled, irritating your lungs.
• Lipstick is licked off and swallowed.
• Sunscreen and lotions are absorbed through your skin.
• Shampoo can run into your eyes or your baby's eyes.
• Laundry detergent, in small amounts, comes in contact with your skin via your clothes.

In 2004, a six-month study was done about personal care product use.1 More than 10,000 body care product ingredients were evaluated, involving 2,300 participants.

One of the findings was that the average adult uses nine personal care products each day, containing 126 different chemicals. The study also found that more than 250,000 women, and one out of every 100 men, use an average of 15 products daily.

Are these products as safe as the labels would have you to believe? With the sheer multitude of chemicals out there, it would be impossible to cover them all in one report. But I have covered most of the significant players, and you can find those articles using the search engine at the top of this page.

This report will focus on a compound called sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate (SLS/SLES), a very common chemical used throughout the cosmetic industry. A great deal of misinformation, myth, and rumor surround SLS/SLES, and I would like to discuss what is really known about this chemical and its potential risk to you.

What You Put ON Your Skin Can Be More Dangerous Than What You Eat

嬰兒皂/ Baby Soap

乳木果油因其細膩特徵，常常用於製作護膚霜。甜杏仁油以溫和著稱。而蓖蔴油則有稠滑感。青黛粉有助於清潔，去汙。我將此三种油放在一起製作了這一撥手工皂。泡沫細膩，柔和，有絲質感，對嬰兒皮膚及敏感皮膚尤其適用。我用它來洗臉，用后感覺臉部極其清爽，柔軟，非常滿意這一款製作。

成分：
extra virgin橄欖油，椰子油，乳木果油，甜杏仁油，蓖蔴油，棕櫚油，白油，蒸餾水，純鹼，青黛粉。

Shea butter is used in lot of lotion making due to its creamy character. Sweet almond oil is also well-known for its mildness. Castor oil is good for lathering. Indigo powder helps to clean the dirt. So I used all of these three oils to create this unique batch of soaps that are creamy, rich, silky and mild. They are esp. good for baby skins and sensitive skins. I used it to wash my face and the skin feels so light, soft and silky afterwards and I'm very satisfied with this batch.

Ingredients:
extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, sweet almond oil, palm oil, castor oil, vegetable shortening, distilled water, lye, indigo powder.

“日本芥末”/綠茶皂 "Wasabi"/Green Tea Soap

我本來是打算給這撥皂起名綠茶皂的，因爲我在皂液裏加了綠茶水。後來有一位女士看到這幅照片，評論道： 呵，綠得象wasabi！ 所以我就管它們叫芥末/綠茶皂吧！

成分：
extra virgin橄欖油，椰子油，棕櫚油，白油，芥花油，綠茶水，蒸餾水，純鹼，綠色珠光粉，青黛粉。

At first I planned to call this batch of soaps "Green Tea Soaps" because I added some green tea water into the soap. Then A lady saw the picture and said to me: Oh, they are so green like wasabi! So I thought maybe I'll just call them wasabi / green tea soaps.

Ingredients:
extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, vegetable shortening, canola oil, green tea, distilled water lye, green mica, indigo powder.

Why use handmade soaps?

Handmade soaps are DIY soaps in a traditional way:  by mixing oils and lye, along with some water, soap is produced.  The process is called “saponification,” i.e. Oil + NaOH (lye) + water = glycerin + soap.  The long term use of handmade soaps benefits the skin tremendously. 

Major differences between handmade soaps and commercial soaps:

Protect and improve skin health:

Because of the glycerin produced in the saponification process, handmade soaps  not only clean the body,   but also maintain  the natural fat and moisture of the skin.  But,  glycerin in commercial soaps is removed by the manufacturer to be put in higher priced products such as lotion.  Some commercial soaps are not even soaps because they are just detergents which are petroleum-based products.  When using detergents –like “soaps” to clean the body, the natural fat and moisture of the skin are stripped away and that’s why people often feel dry and itchy after using commercial soaps.

Protect environment:

Handmade soaps are biodegradable. After washing away, they flow into river and oceans, causing no harm to the environment. While the harsh chemicals contained in commercial soaps are not biodegradable, polluting river and oceans.

It is a regret that handmade soaps can’t last as long as commercial soaps due to its deficient of all various preserves, additives etc.  Handmade soaps usually last about 12 months. They can’t be manufactured on a mass production basis, either, hence the high cost of making handmade soaps.

為什麽要用手工皂？

手工皂，就是自己動手做的香皂。只需要油类、NaOH （氫氧化鈉，俗称鹼）、水3种材料。  即：脂（油类）+ 氫氧化鈉 = 皂 + 甘油。手工香皂既可用作洗面，卸妝，又可用作沐浴。手工皂的泡沫細膩丰富，能徹底清除毛孔深處的油污。且对肌膚十分温和，无刺激，保溼效果超凡，由於不含防腐劑，表面活性劑等化學成分，是一種非常安全而又有效的皮膚清潔及美容產品。手工皂一般含有70%的各種油類，20%的水及10%的鹼。這也就是爲什麽手工皂富含油脂，保護皮膚。

手工皂与市售香皂的区别：

保养皮肤

手工皂富含皮膚需要的甘油，甘油是保養品和化妝品中不可缺少的保溼成分。手工皂泡沫細膩，絲毫不會破壞肌膚的角質層，這是因爲其中所含的甘油能在皂清潔污垢的同时，形成一層保護膜，達到保護肌膚的效果。肌膚的角質層一旦產生老化現象，會使得重要的水分流失，是肌膚之所以乾燥，出現皺紋的原因之一。豐富的泡沫和甘油可完全代替洗面奶和沐浴露。

市售的香皂大多在皂化时，將皂化所產生的甘油抽離做為化妝品用途，没有了甘油的香皂，洗后容易使肌肤乾燥。更有些市售香皂，根本不能称为「皂」，因爲它们是化學合成的清潔劑，不但洗去肌膚自然油脂，且对肌膚及环境造成傷害。

保护环境

手工皂與化學清潔劑不同，在與水接觸后大約24小時后，會被細菌分解成水與二氧化碳。因此流到河川或大海，都不會造成環境的污染，也不会對海洋生物造成威脅。而市售的香皂，洗面奶和沐浴露因含有各種化學添加劑，排到江河大海，毒素不能溶解，造成对環境的永久傷害。

“美丽的遗憾”

由於手工皂沒有添加多餘的防腐劑，化學穩定劑，保鮮劑，導致了皂皂保存時間比工業皂短了很多。一般情況下皂皂可在製后一年内使用。應置陰涼，乾燥処保存，忌陽光直射和潮湿，以免發生酸敗。

不能大批量機械化生産，成本高。