If you are at all interested in natural or alternative health – whether internal or external – you have probably noticed products that specifically say “sulfate free”. Are you wondering what sulfates are and what’s the big deal about avoiding them? At Pure Skin by Maggie, we are committed to not only providing you the best and most pure products and services available but also knowing WHY we avoid certain ingredients. It’s not just what is in the products we use on our skin, but what is not in the products we use that determines their impact.
Basically, we use the word ‘sulfates’ to refer to a group of detergents (or surfactants if you want to use a fancy term) that are used in innumerable products we use on a daily basis. Dish soaps, hand soaps, shampoos, body wash, face wash, toothpaste. Most of the cleaning products we are surrounded by have sulfates like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate.
What do they do? Sulfates produce the lather that we have come to expect in products intended to clean. Originally, these cleaning agents were only included in industrial strength cleaning products because of their corrosiveness and strength. But as we became used to high lather and expected that, sulfates were added to more and more of our everyday products until we all associated the lather with clean. Kind of scary, huh? From industrial strength cleaning to your skin… They are cheap and give consumers what they expect…right? The fact that they are harsh and strip hair, skin and mouth of invaluable moisture and natural protective barriers doesn’t really come into play for many companies.
We’re not going to get into the toxic by-products produced by sulfates (but just so you know, they are there). Instead, let’s take a look at the effects on our body.
Hair: Sulfate molecules are smaller than the hair molecules, leading to more porous strands, but without the necessary moisture. The sulfates rough up the cuticle of the hair, causing dull, dry, damaged hair and eventually leading to breakage, frizz, unmanageable hair, and they’ve even been linked to hair loss.
Mouth: Toothpastes containing sulfates have been linked to canker sores and lesions. Sulfates eat away at the outer layers of protective skin cells and irritate the tissues.
Skin: Our skin’s natural moisture balance relies on a casing of protective lipids (fats). When sulfates strip this away, the balance is disrupted and skin becomes unnecessarily dry. “Squeaky clean” skin or hair has actually been stripped of its natural moisture.
Basically, sulfates are the cheapest way to get lather. But are they necessary for us to be clean? By no means! The superfluous use of sulfates did not even begin until the 1930’s. What did we do before that? We used natural astringents that cleanse without stripping necessary moisture or protective barriers that are necessary to moisture balance. And these gentle astringents still provide the foaming that we associate with cleanliness.
The next time you go shopping for shampoo, body wash, facial cleanser, or other products, take a look at the ingredients. Skip the high-lather, cheap fillers and look for products by companies that are ethical and committed to giving you quality products. Try them – but don’t be surprised if your hair is healthier, shinier, your skin glows and feels vibrant, and your mouth feels fresher and cleaner.
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