What are these Paraben and SLS actually?
Parabens are a chemical compound that has a good preservative property and has been used overages since the 1900s to prevent bacterial growth. Butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, and isobutylparaben are some of the variants of paraben. Ranging from beauty to skincare to soft drinks to processed food, parabens are used everywhere as a preservative. SLS or sodium lauryl sulphate is a detergent which helps create foam and are thereby found in shampoos, tooth-paste, body washes, soaps, etc. SLS is so very inexpensive that they are available in majority of cleansing agents.Are they really harmful?
Some of the articles say that Parabens are connected with breast cancer, but then there is no such scientific base for that. The European Directives have also declared “Parabens are officially approved for use under the Cosmetics Directive (76/768/EEC), the European legislation that regulates all cosmetics and toiletries. We can reassure the public that all cosmetic and toiletry products containing parabens may continue to be used safely.” Parabens in the right quantity and formulation is good as a preservative, but then again,a larger percentage can lead to health issues in some cases.Sulphates being an inexpensive ingredient is used to create a rich lather. They are concerning because they are found to break down protein which can lead to degeneration of cells. They can be the key culprit for hair loss and hair thinning. A 0.3-1% of sulphate isn’t toxic for skin or hair but is that exceeds, then it is found to cause skin irritation in a few. But there is absolutely no scientific base that sulphates are carcinogenic. Thus sulphate in the right amount and formulation isn’t bad.