Yesterday, I came across Fee's post about products containing Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS/SLES) and I thought it was so great of her to share that with us. I am now very cognizant about all the products I'm using daily. It was such an eye-opening post. If you don't have any idea what I'm talking about, SLS is a common chemical used in cosmetic industry....and industrial cleaners. Crazy huh? In a basic non-hazardous term, it is just a foaming agent. It is mostly found in body wash, shampoos, facial cleaners, and products that usually foam up. Now I can't go on full subject on this matter, a website called Mercola did a post on SLS, you can read it here.
Fee's post and the article above are already enough to make me aware of things. It's kind of pretty disappointing to discover the ugly truth about some amazing products that I've used contained SLS. But the perks of living on earth is that we are gifted with amazing scientists that care about making products that are SLS free. There are tons of SLS-free shampoos sold online and if you are lucky enough, you can find it in your local drugstore. Of course, some are quite pricey but I know that it's worth it. I am still shampoo-hunting myself, now that I know why I have been losing quite a lot of hair and dandruff everywhere on my scalp. Damn you SLS!
I made my own fair share of online research yesterday, and I found a useful website called EWG's Skin Deep. It is a website owned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) and it is a cosmetic database where you can check the ingredients of a certain product and their potential of being hazardous. You just easily search your product in the search box and they will provide as many information as they could.
Fortunately, most of my skincare products and makeup products aren't that hazardous but I should still be aware. Not just SLS, but other ingredients as well. We shouldn't be gullible about what commercials want us to see. Organic and Natural do not always mean it is SLS-free. To be safe, check the ingredients.
Which leads me to my next point. If most of products are not 100% safe and safe products are pricey and hard to get, what is there left to do? Honestly, I was literally about to cry when I thought of this question because it feels like a dead end. But eventually my light bulb was switched! Homemade, DIYs and natural ingredients are our answers! I found this amazing blog that consist a LOT of homemade recipes. From blush, bronzer, foundation, etc. There is nothing safer than using natural, unprocessed ingredients. So there's our loophole!
I hope this post can give you a wake up call. As much as makeup and skincare products are our savior, we need to be aware of the stuff it has in it. What we can always do is check the ingredients or wear makeup less or find a safer alternative or made your own. We must always take care of our body, not to fall on the rabbit's hole.
Question time : how often do you check the ingredients before you buy a certain product?
Cheers,
Love this. Thanks for the mention, too. :)
ReplyDelete