It's no secret that the average person in his daily life uses a huge amount of a variety of chemicals. It’s useless to list all of them, so we’ll only mention a few: dishwashing detergents, shampoos, liquid for windows, polishes and even toothpastes (you should not think that the Herbal series are made from plants alone). Obviously, it is unlikely that among them it will be possible to find useful ones. Rather, we are talking about partially harmless and have a negative effect. Recently, the substance "sodium laureth sulfate" has come under suspicion.
You won’t have to look for it for long: it’s enough to carefully read the composition of your favorite shampoo or other cosmetic product on the back of the package. Almost certainly, sodium laureth or lauryl sulfate will be indicated there . Moreover, these substances are the first in the list, which indirectly indicates their relatively high concentration. Drinking this is really not worth it. Interestingly, manufacturers, trying to protect the buyer of their products from excessive fluctuations, sometimes indicate English. name - sodium laureth sulfate.
Currently, the main surfactants (surfactants) in the vast majority of detergents are derivatives of sulfoethoxylates. The task of these additives is reduced, first of all, to the breakdown of fats and, of course, the formation of foam. Alas, we are all used to the fact that if the shampoo does not foam, then something is wrong with it.
The best known is sodium lauryl sulfate. It is one of the by-products of oil distillation. The advantages include high washing ability in water of any temperature (we recall the advertisement of dishwashing detergents). It would seem - an ideal surfactant. However, not all so simple. Lauryl sulfate destroys the lipid protective layer of human skin, so irritation is not long in coming. At high concentrations, the substance can cause a chemical burn. Note that before adding to detergents, this surfactant is pre-ethoxylated, which reduces its aggressiveness by several orders of magnitude. In addition, since the final product contains a whole list of various components, among which emollients and moisturizers, the negative effect of sodium lauril sulfate is less pronounced.
At the same time, now more and more manufacturers are abandoning lauryl sulfate, starting to use sodium laureth sulfate. Compared with the previous one, it has a more gentle effect on the skin, while maintaining high washing efficiency. Sodium laureth sulfate retains the ability to accumulate on surfaces, so it is always necessary to follow the recommendations of the manufacturers and thoroughly rinse the product after use. Often on containers with shampoos prescribed to wash your hair twice. Is it a coincidence? In any case, if there is anything to choose from, then preference should be given to sodium laureth sulfate, rather than its close "relative" - lauryl sulfate.
In order to remain competitive, some manufacturers expanded their product range, partially or completely abandoning the use of the above surfactants. Still, both lauryl and sodium laureth sulfate are hard surfactants.
Their current alternative is “soft” compounds that do not cause excessive skin irritation. Among the well-known, cocamidopropyl betaine and glycerol monostearate should be noted. This is a new generation of detergent surfactants suitable for people with sensitive skin.
Sometimes on the shelves of cosmetics stores you can find compromise options when the concentration of the main surfactant (laureth or sodium lauryl sulfate) is reduced due to the addition of cocamidopropyl betaine.