A Safer Way to Shampoo

According to Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt in their book, No More Dirty Looks, your scalp is one of the most absorbent parts of your body...it’s also your most sensitive skin. Most shampoos today are composed of detergents, water, surfactants, and alcohol. O’Connor and Spunt write, “Surfactants (usually sodium laureth sulfate [SLES] or its sister sodium lauryl sulfate [SLS]) are wetting agents that help trap oil and the dirt stuck to it...unfortunately, in the process, this also strips hair of its natural oils. This makes the hair feel oh‐so clean (which we love), but it also perpetuates a cycle that demands more and more products.” Sometimes surfactants cause rashes, and when they are ethoxylated (a process meant to soften the harshness of the chemical) they can produce a carcinogen called 1, 4 dioxane. O’Connor and Spunt write, “the kicker is that 1, 4‐D doesn’t even get listed on labels because it’s not what the FDA likes to call an ‘intended ingredient.’ That means it’s a byproduct.” The other potentially dangerous ingredients in your shampoo are the preservatives, fragrances, and additives. According to O’Connor and Spunt foam boosters or DEA are particularly harmful. They write, “DEA is fine on its own, but when it sits on the shelf (which is to say always), it can react with the other chemicals to form nitrosamines—potent and easily absorbed carcinogens linked to stomach, esophagus, liver, and bladder cancer.” Drugstore shampoos don’t seem so wonderful when you know that preservatives such as DMDM release a small amount of formaldehyde, parabens can cause thyroid and estrogen disruption, and phthalates are known hormone disruptors. Interested in some safe alternatives? Here are a couple of our favorites!

• Young Living Lavender Mint Daily Shampoo, a plant based, safe, and environmentally friendly shampoo (retail cost: $25.99, wholesale cost: $19.75) 
• Giovanni Shampoo Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo (found online and at Whole Foods and some Target stores)