What’s in it Wednesday
As you may know, Newf Brand Bath & Body Care strives to be an all natural cosmetics company. Of our three products, only one contains any sort of chemicals and they make up only 6% of the product vs. the other 94% which is organic (Venereous Shaving Jelly). One of my personal concerns which is also a concern of the company and a reason why it was founded, is the high number of chemicals that are in the products we use daily on our bodies. As I glance through the products in my shower, I find a long list of things I can’t even begin to pronounce and I certainly have no idea why I need them. Even after researching some items, I sometimes have to wonder just why they are in products when they seem to serve no purpose at all. So I’ve decided to start focusing on one product from my bathroom each week, listing everything in the item and doing my best to explain what those items are and how harmful the contents may or may not be. And hopefully I’ll be able to continue switching out these products with natural products as time passes (and as Newf Brand’s product line grows!)
First up is one of my favorite shampoos, Paul Mitchel’s Cleanse Awapuhi Shampoo®.
The list of ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone/Hedychium Coronarium (White Ginger)/PEG-12 Dimethicone, Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone/Algae/Aloe Barbadensis Leaf/Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile)/Henna/Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba)/Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary)/PEG-12 Dimethicone, Glycol Stearate, PEG-14M, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynl Butylcarbamate, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate
So, there’s plenty of things in that list which I can’t even begin to pronounce…but all in all most of the ingredients really aren’t that bad. Some of them are even natural – but somehow that still doesn’t make me feel great about using this every day. But you can make your own decision about what you use on your body. You can click on the names and other words in this post to take you to more detailed descriptions of everything on our website.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (aka sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES)) – A cleansing detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, etc.) which is very inexpensive and an excellent foamer. People with sensitive skin should avoid using products containing SLS or SLES. After the product is washed from the body, it strips moisture from the top layers of skin which could cause further irritation. There are rumors on the internet that these ingredients cause cancer but that is unconfirmed. SLES can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane (considered a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends manufacturers strip out this contaminant. The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association discourages the use of SLS in products intended for prolonged use, unless contained in low concentrations.
Cocamide MEA (cocamide monoethanolamine) - Cocamide MEA is used in shampoos and bath products to increase foaming capacity, stabilize foam and thicken the water portion of cosmetic and personal care products. It may be a skin irritant but is not considered harmful.
Cocamidopropyl Betaine - Cocamidopropyl betaine is used as a medium strength surfactant in bath products like shampoos and hand soaps and in cosmetics as an emulsifying agent and thickener. It also serves as an antistatic agent in hair conditioners and has antiseptic properties, making it suitable for personal sanitary products. It usually does not irritate skin or mucous membranes.
Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone/Hedychium Coronarium (White Ginger)/PEG-12 Dimethicone – Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone is used to condition hair without build up. It is commonly used in products which treat color, perm, sun and heat-damaged hair. PEG-12 Dimethicone is added to provide luster and sheen. It’s my understanding that a hefty silicone compound is created with the above silicones and the white ginger essential oil to enhance the quality of the shampoo.
Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone/Algae/Aloe Barbadensis Leaf/Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile)/Henna/Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba)/Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary)/PEG-12 Dimethicone – Same as above but with different ingredients and essential oils.
Glycol Stearate - An emulsion stabilizer which helps to keep an emulsion from separating into its oil and liquid components. It’s considered safe for use in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel.
PEG-14M - It is used in a wide variety of products including bath products, shaving products, skin care products, makeup, skin cleansing products, shampoo, hair conditioners and deodorants. It’s considered safe for us in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel.
Tetrasodium EDTA - EDTA, also known as edetic acid, and its salts were developed to counteract the effects of hard water and heavy metal ions in the manufacture of textiles. By binding with metal ions, these ingredients prevent the metals from being deposited onto the hair, scalp and skin. It’s considered safe for us in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel.
Citric Acid - Citric acid is widely used in the cosmetic industry as a preservative and to adjust acid-alkali balance. It is said to have antioxidant and toning properties and is one of the alpha-hydroxy acids. AHA’s are used not only to reduce wrinkles but also to brighten your skin.
Sodium Chloride – Sodium Chloride, or table salt, can also increase thickness of the aqueous (water) portion of cosmetics and personal care products. Sodium Chloride occurs naturally in seawater and as the mineral halite.
DMDM Hydantoin – DMDM Hydantoin is a preservative used to protect cosmetics and personal care products from spoilage. It’s considered safe for us in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel.
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate – Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate prevents or retards bacterial growth, thereby protecting cosmetics and personal-care products from spoilage. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel views Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate safe as a cosmetic ingredient at concentrations less than or equal to 0.1%. It should not be used in products intended to be aerosolized.
Benzyl Alcohol - Benzyl Alcohol is used in cosmetics and personal care products as an external pain reliever, fragrance ingredient, preservative, solvent and to decrease the thickness of liquid cosmetic products. Benzyl Alcohol is found naturally in many foods such as apricots, snap beans, cocoa, cranberries, mushrooms and honey and also in the essential oil of many plants, including jasmine, hyacinth and ylang-ylang. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded that Benzyl Alcohol is safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products at concentrations up to 5%.
Benzyl Benzoate - Benzyl benzoate is generally used to treat lice and scabies infestations. As a medicine, it is believed to be absorbed by the lice and mites and destroys them by acting on their nervous system.
Sources used to learn about these ingredients: Wikipedia, CHEC’s HeatheHouse Chemical Profiles , CosmeticsInfo.org
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Great post, and it is even better that your company aims at natural products. Keep it up!
Thanks for this post. It saved me a lot of time. I was looking up all the ingredients in my shampoo on wickpedia and couldn’t find them all.
Terrific work! This is the type of information that should be shared around the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher!
great post, thanks for sharing