Watch what you use (even shampoos)

Recently I started reading about ingredients found in shampoos and it rose my awareness on the usage of sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in soaps and shampoos. It is well researched on how SLS are comedogenic (clogs pores and causes acne). For example, concentrations of SLS as low as 0.5% could cause irritation and concentrations of 10-30% can cause skin corrosion. In addition, SLS can be absorbed through the skin and affects hormones linked to reduced male fertility and increased chances of cancers.

Generally, FDA approves the usage of SLS in products that do not require prolong contact with the skin, such as rinse-off products. Hence, it is commonly found in soaps, shampoos, detergent, stain remover, body wash, etc. If you see SLS in your creams or lotions, beware.

I spent about half hour today in Watsons and I found that almost all the shampoos that are sold on the shelves contain SLSs, this includes shampoos for babies. The only one which I found that does not contain SLS is from Sukin, a brand from Australia. The ingredients include:



Ingredients: Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Equisetum Arvense Extract (Horsetail), Arctium Lappa Extract (Burdock), Urtica Dioica Extract (Nettle), Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Extract, Citric Acid, Linalool,* Limonene.*



Sukin Purifying Shampoo

Not only does Sukin not contain SLS, none of the ingredients used are comedogenic. It could mean two things: One, the company makes a sincere effort not to include ingredients that are comedogenic. Two, the ingredients used are not common and hence, few studies were done on them.

I bought a 1-liter bottle of the Sukin Purifying shampoo and it costs only $31. Relatively reasonably priced. I will use for a few days and update subsequently on the product.


Updates (16 Sep 2013)

After trying for a few weeks, I concluded that Sukin Shampoo is not a very good product. First, it doesn't cleanse very well. Over a few days, I can feel my scalp starts to form this white paste and smells. I read up and found that it is sebum and and is part of a healthy acid mantle. But too much of it build up with sweat and bacteria. The reason the sebum is formed is because the scalp is becoming too dry and the sebum forms an emollient film to reduce the effects. Although Sukin does not contain SLS, it probably contains other cleansing ingredients that may be equally drying. Hence, I decided to spend a little more money to try a new product, Ma Cherie. I will blog about it in a different posting.