My staff members keep asking me about the special soap I keep in the bathroom at work. They love the way it softens hands and the wonderful fragrance. It is Nature's Gate Oatmeal hand soap and I love it! It is a reasonably priced SLS-free hand soap and it actually feels almost like you've put lotion on after washing with it. The fragrance is light but pleasant. My staff loves it because it is very soothing for frequently-washed hands.
I've mentioned the irritation of SLS before but I'll go more in depth now.
Based on the internet research I did, SLS (sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate) is a chemical that is highly effective in removing oily substances. Unfortunately, the protective coating on skin can be one such substance. Not everyone is sensitive to SLS but it is proven to cause irritation, especially in higher concentrations. So why is it in every kind of cleanser, from soap to toothpaste? Because it is what produces that wonderful, sudsy lather that we all think necessary for proper cleaning. We are conditioned to expect rich, thick lather, never suspecting that the lather is eating into our skin and causing irritation.
I have found that since I went SLS-free my skin is not nearly as hypersensitive as it used to be. It is not as dry, either. Anyone with highly reactive skin knows what a blessing this is for me. Shaving no longer results in stinging redness because my skin is not being attacked by my body wash. I had a patch of eczema and the scaliness on my elbows disappear 2 days after switching body washes!
The tricky part about going SLS-free is that "organic" and "all-natural" products may still contain it. You have to be diligent and slightly obsessive about checking labels to be sure. I have tried both Burt's Bees body wash and Everyday Shea. I liked both but the Everyday Shea ends up being much cheaper and comes in a big size. My husband really liked the Burt's Bees for Men body wash; it has a nice, manly scent. But in the interest of our bank account he agreed to share with me. His back has always tended to break out and it has been doing much better with the new body wash. I have since switched to bars of black soap.
I also switched my shampoo & conditioner. Whole Foods 365 brand makes SLS-free hair care that is cheap and good, though it takes time to get used to the "lower sudsing" formula. Then I realized it was in my toothpaste, too! So I switched that as well. My gums are actually less sensitive now.
If you have any skin irritations at all, I strongly encourage you to give SLS-free a try. It may not be a cure but you should at least see some improvement and relief.
Interesting post. We have tried to avoid anything with fragrance, but I still cave and use Johnson's baby shampoo for my hair. It seems mild anyway. I will be checking the "SLS" stuff though to see if that is fragrance-free as well. I do get rashes from a lot of soaps and body washes, but I have found a few that I can use.
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