Why Choose Sulfate Free Skin Care?
The health of our skin is dependent on our wellbeing and affected by many factors, including our environment, health, the food we eat, what we drink and more. This means looking after yourself is vital for healthy, glowing skin. Limiting the number of chemicals your body is subjected to, you can help safeguard your skin against irritation. A smart way to do this is to choose sulphate free skin care products.
What are Sulfates?
Sulphate, or Sulfates, are aggressive detergents made of sulphur-containing mineral salts used for cleansing. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry use the “Sulfate” spelling while in British English the “Sulphate” spelling is used. A foaming agent, Sulphates are a broader term for other synthetic sulphate-based chemicals you may be concerned about. They work by having molecules that can attract both oil and water – one end of the molecule clings to the oily dirt, while the other clings to the water. Sulphates refer to a number of ingredients including the most common three: sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), sodium laureth sulphate (SLES) and ammonium lauryl sulphate (ALS). These common chemical foaming agents can be found in toothpaste, soaps, facial and body cleansers, shampoo as well as household cleaning products like dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent and carpet cleaners.
Simply put, sulphates are a cheap foaming agent. When you see the “sulphate free” label, it usually means that the product does not contain any of these three.
Why avoid Sulphates?
What are the concerns with using sulphates? Sulphates are known irritants with the potential to cause discomfort to the eyes, mouth, scalp, skin and lungs. In particular, people suffering from eczema, dermatitis, scalp flakiness, and itchy conditions, should avoid products containing sulphates.
To measure the level of skin, lungs and eye irritation, many products containing sulfates are tested on animals. This is another reason using products that contain SLS and SLES are not in Kadee Botanicals products.
Why choose Sulphate free skin care?
If you know you have sensitive skin, it pays to choose sulphate free skin care to minimise risk of reactions. The effect of sulphates on the skin can be minor skin irritation and itchiness, to a full blown allergic reaction. You may feel you need the frothy foam of your current skin cleanser for it to work effectively - this is not true! The sulphates used to produce this foaming may also be stripping away moisture and the protective layer of the skin, impacting your skins natural protective film, leaving your skin exposed to other irritants with no defence against disease-causing bacteria and allergens, becoming vulnerable to infection and irritation.
Alternatives to Sulphates
If you’re willing to skip the suds - there are natural options for cleansing your skin with no lather whatsoever! Safer alternatives include Cocoamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Disodium Cocoamphrodiacetate to name a few.
Sodium cocoamphoacetate is an organic, mild compound derived from coconut oil and is used in face cleansers, scrubs and shaving creams making the product glide smoothly on skin. Cocamidopropyl Betaine (CAPB) and Disodium Cocoamphrodiacetate are organic compounds derived from coconut oil and used as surfactants which are found in many liquid skin cleansers. Surfactants allow water to wash away the oil and dirt from your skin by decreasing the surface tension of water making it easier to wet your face.
Skin can also be massaged with an organic oil and rinsed clean with cool water. Jojoba oil is fantastic for this because it most closely resembles our skin’s own natural oil.
All Kadee Botanicals products are free of Sulphates, so you know that they are gentle and not irritating to the skin.
As the largest organ, your skin is vital to your health, yet many people fail to take care of it. As your skin has the ability to absorb much of what you put on it, informed skin care product choices are critical to optimise your health. You should give your skin care regime as much thought as you give your diet, because much of what goes on your body actually ends up being absorbed in to your body.
At the end of the day, sulphates are not essential to your skin care routine!