The battle against SLS/SLES: Step 1 Hair Care

SLS? What is that? Might come to mind after reading the title and the header of this post. SLS stands for Sodiom Lauryl Sulfate. SLES is Sodium Laureth Sulfate, SLES is a milder version of SLS. These sulfates are sulfates that are commonly used in shampoos, soap, cleansers, body washes, etc.. Basically, it's soap. It's a chemical that makes your product foam up. They are part of the group labeled as 'sulfuctants', which are surface cleaners. You can also use SLS and SLES to clean your kitchen... or your car. Now you don't want that on your face or hair, do you?

These chemicals are also very irritating. they can cause hair follicle damage, skin damage, permanent eye damage in children and even liver toxicity.

SLS and SLES are not neccessary in your hair care, hygiene and skin care routine. There are plenty of amazing products that are free of these harsh chemicals and still do a great job at getting you really clean. I was very relieved that at least my skin care was free of SLS and SLES. (And it should be.. for 35 bucks per bottle of cleanses!!) But going through my bathroom cabinet I was shocked to see that EVERY SINGLE THING had SLES in it, a few had SLS.

I threw out all the half finished bottles of shampoo and went to a drugstore that I know stocks a lot of organic natural things. The sales lady assisted me in finding a proper shampoo for my hair type and my wants.

Dr. Organic is a British brand that specialises in organic products for skin, hair, face, teeth, you name it. Everything you'll need for your personal care and hygiene, they have it.

I purchased a new shampoo and conditioner from this brand, because my hair care is the very first step towards banning all SLS from my life. I just don't feel comfortable using it anymore.

The shampoo and conditioner I bought is from the Virgin Olive Oil range, which has been specially designed for hydrating purposes. My hair needs hydration especially after I've used hot styling tools on my precious locks.

Below are two photographs of the ingredients of the shampoo and conditioner.

The conditioner.

The shampoo.

I'm excited to use these products. I hope they improve my hair and the condition of my scalp. My scalp is often irritated and itchy, and I think that it might just be the cause of the SLS in the products I've been using.

The next step is going to be personal hygiene, a new body wash, I desperately need it. What you put on your body will eventually make its way into your body. So it matters what products you use. A deeper review of the shampoo and conditioner will be posted after I've been using it for a while.