The Truth About SLS, Paraben. Are They Really That Harmful?
That one thing which I am sure we all super concerned these days before buying a skincare or hair care product is whether it is ‘SLS’ and ‘paraben’ free or not. For the past few years, these two have become the buzz word and Oh My God there are so many of talks, misconceptions about it!! Due to the negativities that these two have attracted in these years, 90% of the brands these days focus on the tag SLS-Free and Paraben-Free to attract its customers. But do you know what’s really the truth behind these two? Let’s uncover the details about them:
What are these Paraben and SLS actually?
Parabens are a chemical compound that has a good preservative property and has been used overages since the 1900s to prevent bacterial growth. Butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, and isobutylparaben are some of the variants of paraben. Ranging from beauty to skincare to soft drinks to processed food, parabens are used everywhere as a preservative. SLS or sodium lauryl sulphate is a detergent which helps create foam and are thereby found in shampoos, tooth-paste, body washes, soaps, etc. SLS is so very inexpensive that they are available in majority of cleansing agents.
Are they really harmful?
Some of the articles say that Parabens are connected with breast cancer, but then there is no such scientific base for that. The European Directives have also declared “Parabens are officially approved for use under the Cosmetics Directive (76/768/EEC), the European legislation that regulates all cosmetics and toiletries. We can reassure the public that all cosmetic and toiletry products containing parabens may continue to be used safely.” Parabens in the right quantity and formulation is good as a preservative, but then again,a larger percentage can lead to health issues in some cases.
Sulphates being an inexpensive ingredient is used to create a rich lather. They are concerning because they are found to break down protein which can lead to degeneration of cells. They can be the key culprit for hair loss and hair thinning. A 0.3-1% of sulphate isn’t toxic for skin or hair but is that exceeds, then it is found to cause skin irritation in a few. But there is absolutely no scientific base that sulphates are carcinogenic. Thus sulphate in the right amount and formulation isn’t bad.
Are Paraben and SLS free products the best?
If a product is stamped Paraben-Free and SLS-Free that doesn’t really mean it is something great. Many companies even to disguise them tag them or swap them with other chemicals, which may be even worse. Also, if a product has sulphate and paraben and its formulated in the right way, it doesn’t really mean it is bad. Just to be “safe than sorry” what you can do is choose plant-based products that are much safe and good for regular usage. Because, no matter what, chemicals are chemicals and they are detrimental to skin and hair at to 1% more than natural products.
So, just because a product has SLS or paraben, don’t panic. Choose wisely and also don’t get carried by the advertisement gimmicks!
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