I’ve recently been doing my bit to rid the house of sodium lauryl sulphate, especially in my children’s bath wash & shampoo. One product I’ve been using is the Natural Instinct range, and I’m starting to think I’m being taken for a ride with its ‘Organic’ labelling… on the Natural Instinct Natural Baby Bath Wash bottles it is printed: No Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (amongst other things) but then in ingredients the second listing is Sodium Laureth Sulphate (plant derived). What’s the diff?
I read this today from Dr Mercola:
HEALTHBIT: Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, a common chemical in cosmetics, could be putting you at risk for hair, skin and eye damage, immunological problems, and even cancer. http://mercola.com
Skin Deep says:
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
scores 3 out of 10
– linked to cancer in government or academic studies
– linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity
– has restrictions and warnings in countries other than Australia
– linked to toxicity of one or more biological systems in the body
– linked to irritation of the skin, eyes or lungs according to government assessments
– linked to neurotoxicity & endocrine disruption
Sodium Laureth Sulphate
scores 4 out of 10
– may be contaminated with toxic impurities, many of which are linked to cancer
– linked to organ system toxicity
– linked to irritation of the skin, eyes or lungs according to government assessments
source: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
Oh good, well that clears it up then…? From where I sit right here I don’t think that the ‘plant derived’ bit on the bottle means much with regard to lack of irritation or potential harm minimisation, instead I think it’s a type of greenwash, meant to make unsuspecting parents think they’re doing the best for their kids. It even says ‘No Harmful Chemicals’ on the bottle! How disappointing.
I’ve just trolled down through all the list of ingredients for the A’kin PureBaby Softening Body Wash & Shampoo (why they need to ‘soften’ a baby’s body is beyond me (!) but they’ve checked out ok, nothing on the list scores more than a 2 on the evil scale. So A’kin it is! And Australian made & owned, hooray!
The Bondi Cook 