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Last week’s article addressed the benefits of using organic cleaning products.
I thought it might be helpful to discuss just a few of the most important ingredients to watch out for in your regular cleaning products and personal care items as well as why they are best eliminated from your life.
The first is sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS. This ingredient is what makes cleaning products and personal products foam. If you love your shampoo or liquid dish detergent and all the bubbles they make, be sure to check out the ingredients. As lovely as all those bubbles are, sodium lauryl sulfate has been linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin irritation and endocrine disruption. Although SLS is derived from coconuts, during the manufacturing process, it is contaminated with a toxic byproduct.
Just as sugar has many different names, so does SLS. You may see it listed as sodium dodecyl sulfate, sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, sodium salt, sodium salt sulfuric acid, sodium dodecyl sulfate, aquarex me or aquarex methyl, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), EWG is a great reference website if you are looking to live healthier. You can visit their website at: http://EWG.org
Ammonium lauryl sulfate, or ALS, is similar to SLS and poses similar risks.
Another ingredient to avoid is sodium laureth sulfate, or SLES. SLES has even greater ability to make products foam and is slightly less irritating than sodium lauryl sulfate.
Next on our hit parade of nasty ingredients are triclosan and triclocarban. Although the Food and Drug Administration banned triclosan from hand soaps and body wash in the country back in 2016, it can still be found in many products including toothpaste which, unbelievably, was not included in the ban! Lauded for its antibacterial properties back in the day, current wisdom maintains triclosan is no more effective than simple soap and water.
Triclosan weakens the immune system, and exposure of children to antibacterial products at an early age has been linked to an increase in asthma, allergies and eczema.
You may think there is not enough of any of these ingredients to harm you, but consider for a moment the accumulated damage that using them over a period of many years can do. It’s not the one time usage, but the constant exposure to these ingredients that can cause us great harm.
Changing to a healthier lifestyle is a process, and I’ve found that when I coach my clients, it’s a more manageable process if they begin with small steps. I strongly suggest you go through your cleaning products and personal products to check them for the ingredients discussed above. This is a great start to your new goal of a healthier life style.
Helping You Achieve Major Wellness in Your Life!
Cheryl A Major, CNWC
Cheryl A Major lives in Westford and is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. Her TV show, Thin Strong Healthy, airs on WestfordCat and is an offshoot of her blog http://ThinStrongHealthy.com  Cheryl offers ongoing information and personal health coaching to help you feel better and be healthier.  Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CherylAMajor. She is also a full time residential Realtor with Coldwell Banker with more than 25 years experience.
Questions? Email Cheryl at cheryl@thinstronghealthy.com and be sure to put Health Question in the subject line. Your question and its answer will be included in a future article
P.S. Check out all the free recipes for great tasting healthy eating in the Recipe Section at http://ThinStrongHealthy.com
