Getting clean of Soaps, Detergents and Toxic Surfactants

Strip Your Skin-Care of Surfactants

Surfactants, often used to deflect water tension in many liquid products, are commonly used in soaps and detergents. You may discover them in your shampoos, body washes, dishwashers, and laundry detergents. They are all around us, included in the products that many of us use to cleanse and wash our bodies, clothes, and dishes.

While surfactants are extremely common in many commonly used products available on the market, a large number of people have no idea the damage they can cause to our bodies and our environment. While natural surfactants do exist, most that we come into contact with are synthetic and can have adverse effects. Read further to learn about the dangerous effects that they can have virtually everywhere.

 

Signature Surfactants

Surfactants fall into one of three different groups: hydrophobic (deflects water), hydrophilic (attracts water), and lipophilic (attracts oil). Often used in most of the soaps and detergents widely available at most retailers, this group of ingredients generally works to help remove dirt and grime from clothes and skin, by breaking the particles down and drawing them away from whatever the soap is cleansing. A number of different types of surfactants exist, and your skin may respond differently to each of them.

Sodium lauryl sulfate, also listed as SLS, is one of the most commonly used surfactants. Its strength makes it effective enough for household cleaning items, as well as industrial products such as degreasers. However, you may also discover it in products including your own toothpaste. Toss any products, especially along the cosmetic and skin-care lines, containing this surfactant in the garbage. Known for its corrosive properties, SLS responds to other chemicals such as dioxin, which can cause carcinogenic effects. SLS also effectively eliminates your skin of its natural lipids and oils, dehydrating your complexion.

A derivative of coconut oil, the deceptive cocomidopropyl betaine can inspire allergic reactions, such as increased skin sensitivity and rashes. More serious responses include a development of a burning or itchy feeling after application. Often marketed as a natural ingredient, it is linked with eye irritation, and is created through multiple reactive processes. By the time you get coco betaine as used in most skin-care products, it barely resembles its original form as coconut oil and becomes an allergen.

Another surfactant often falsely represented as a natural ingredient, sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), is often favorited by many mass-production, skin-care companies for its cost effectiveness. The creation process requires that the end result of an ingredient as part vegetable structure and part petroleum. Petroleum clogs the pores, and makes it more difficult for the skin to breath. The manufacture of this ingredient requires ethylene oxide, which can cause damage to the liver and kidneys.

Perhaps the most disturbing surfactant available on the market, glyphosate, is also used in Monsanto’s product Round-up. Clearly, many already make use of it as an insecticide and herbicide to keep pests and weeds at bay. To make matters worse, many manufacturers may include this product in soaps and detergents. Some studies suggest we hold glyphosate responsible for the development of chronic diseases, as it can directly affect the function, growth, and life of the good bacteria that helps process food and maintain health.

 

Strip Your Skin-Care of Surfactants

Now that you know some of the main culprits used as surfactants in many widely used products, you can take a closer look at how they can affect the health of your skin. As mentioned before, many surfactant ingredients can strip your skin and hair of necessary moisture and oils that maintain health and keep the surface healthy. Take a look at the specific ways in which they can affect your healthy appearance.

The naturally corrosive nature of most surfactants can damage barriers and lipid layers designed to protect your skin and hair naturally. This can allow damaging particles, such as free radicals and pollution, to make direct contact with your epidermal surface. This increases the aging process, and makes you more susceptible to absorbing toxins through your pores.

Surfactants may also contribute to your problem with frizzy, dull, or dry hair. The rich lather that they create can damage the cuticle that surrounds each strand, making your hair more prone to damaged follicles and eventually hair loss. It stops the natural process of the follicles, which damages and thins out what could be naturally healthy hair with full body.

In general, sulfates are often  categorized as potentially carcinogenic, especially after consistent and continuous exposure. So, if you use soaps and detergents containing such ingredients on a day to day basis, you could put yourself at a greater risk of developing cancer later on in your life. Additionally, the by-products created by the usage of surfactants can cause more extensive damage. They release dioxane, a definite cancer-causing agent, and ethylene oxide, which contributes to dysfunction of development and the nervous system.

 

Free Your Skin of Surfactants with Face Naturals

Face naturals does not use harsh surfactants in our formulas. We fully disclose each and every ingredient in the ingredient lists available online with the full descriptions and on the labels of each of our products. You can strip your skin-care of moisture-stripping surfactants by trying face naturals‘ organic line of skin-care products. We guarantee that each item is made strictly from potent, healing botanicals.

Contact us to discover which of our products will work best for you. Include details about your skin type, which products interest you, and what you wish to accomplish with our all-natural line of products. We will help you make a selection, or readjust your routine, with helpful hints and tips on how to make the most of your selection. See what your face naturals family has in store for you.

 

References

• Dangers of Cocamidopropyl Betaine
• Sulfate Free Shampoo Formulas
• The Role of Surfactant in Skincare
• Roundup and Glyphosate Toxicity Have Been Grossly Underestimated
• Understanding Natural Surfactants in Bath and Body Formulas
• Avoiding Sulfates Can Save Your Skin and Hair