Monday 4 June 2012

making the switch to sls free

Recently I've been seeing more and more bloggers mentioning that they don't use SLS. I normally just skip over it, but curiosity got the better of me and I did a little research.
SLS and SLES, or sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate are common ingredients that are in products that foam - like shower gel, shampoo and foaming cleansers.
They're put in these things because they are cheap - and that's the only reason. It actually irritates the skin, and there's loads of information on the internet about it being harmful to your body - I was shocked to hear this because when you put something on your skin you're expecting it to do good!
I know that data on the internet needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, but there's so many different reports of studies that show SLS is bad for you, it's hard not to be convinced.
So I went through my shower thinking that my products wouldn't have any baddies in them, and lo and behold, my shower gel, shampoo and conditioner all had that dreaded ingredient in them. The hardest thing was, everything was from Lush, and I thought Lush was a lovely and nice and natural and skipping in a field with bunnies kind of company, I guess that's all a marketing ploy.
Here's what I'm going to start using instead:
Neither of these needed any actual purchasing as such because I found them whilst rummaging through all the beauty box samples I have. The Balance Me one on the left is actually a full size so that'll keep me going for a while, I'll start using them once I've finished all the shower gels I have already.
Because I hate being wasteful I'm still going to use products with SLS in them if I somehow receive one unless I see my skin improving drastically, I remember MakeupSavvy saying that the bumps on her upper arms vanished which may or may not be the whole reason I'm banning the SLS (I hate those bumps!).
The Naked shampoo was surprisingly cheap, and I picked the anti-dandruff one because prevention is better than cure, and I like the way anti-dandruff shampoos make my hair feel.
The John Frieda conditioner is the only product I've already started using, I found it on sale for £2 ages ago and never used it. I wouldn't repurchase because it's a wee bitty too rich for my hair, which is on the oilier edge of the spectrum. If you have brunette hair and it's normal to dry, pick this up because it does wonders for the colour, makes it look multi-dimensional and never flat.

Are you converted to SLS free?

10 comments:

  1. The entire Naked range is really lovely if you're starting to go SLS-free - their bodywashes are fab too! If you like The Body Shop then check out their Earth Lovers and Rainforest shower gel and hair ranges as you can literally feel the highquality ingredients as you use them! As you can tell, I'm a bit of an SLS-convert :p x

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    1. i have a body scrub from naked too and i love it! and thanks for the body shop recommendations, i'll keep them in mind :) x

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  2. I went SLS free a few months ago and have definitely noticed a difference! Still have it in my hand wash and toothpaste though - that is a little harder to get on the highstreet so need to do a bit more research!

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    1. i've started using bar soap thats natural instead of handwash - but SLS free tootpaste is impossible to find! x

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  3. Even toothpaste contains SLS, they sneak it into everything. I dont avoid SLS like the plague.
    xo

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  4. I dont avoid SLS like the plague? Think I need to go back to sleep! lol

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  5. Great post!
    Would you like to follow each other? :)
    http://dawndugong.blogspot.com

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  6. i've been avoiding SLS quite a bit lately. the difference it makes in my hair and skin is huge! i've been washing my hair less and finding organic or DIY alternatives for washing my skin and my hair. it's so worth it!

    -alexandra
    http://alexisinodak.blogspot.com

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  7. Great post, you should check out the body shop they do some great shampoos that was SLS free!
    www.dyobeauty.blogspot.com

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  8. I have never heard of SLS before reading your post. Thanks for informing me! I will definitely be checking my products in the morning. xx

    jensbrightandbeautiful.blogspot.com

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