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 »  Home  »  water  »  Shampoo and the planet
Shampoo and the planet
By Green Living Tips | Published  12/7/2006 | water , health , family
Is your shampoo poisoning the environment?

I looked at my bottle of shampoo today and my hair stood on end before I even washed it. The front label states "Vitamin E Moisture Rich Shampoo - Professional performance formula", but what I read on the back made me wonder about the volume of potential poisons I've been flushing into the environment over the last 3 decades, simply through washing my hair.

Having a blackwater system now for recycling our household waste water has also made me a little more conscious about this kind of thing. If we put chemicals down our drains that upsets the good bacteria, they can't do their job properly in chewing up all the nasties. Throw it out of balance, and restoring the balance can take a long while. I'll cover the subject of blackwater recycling systems in another article - they are fascinating setups that somewhat mimic the wider environment and it's been quite an education having one.

Here are the ingredients of my shampoo and what I discovered.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate - used in clinical testing as a primary skin irritant. Tests on lab animals indicate material may cause mutagenic effects.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine - potential irritant and potentially contaminated with or breaking down into chemicals linked to cancer,

Ammonium Chloride - Harmful if swallowed. May be harmful by inhalation. Skin, eye and respiratory irritant

Tocopheryl Acetate - Vitamin E

Camellia Sensis Leaf Extract - OK depending on extraction process

Fennel - OK depending on extraction process

Fruit Extract - Hrm.. depending on extraction process

Epilobium Angustifolium Extract - OK depending on extraction process

Sunflower Extract - OK depending on extraction process

Hazel leaf Extract - OK depending on extraction process

Sweet Almond fruit extract - OK depending on extraction process

Panthenol -  Vitamin B5

Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolized wheat protein - not sure

Quaternium-22 - May contain harmful impurities or form toxic breakdown products

Butylene Glycol - not assessed for safety by Cosmetics Ingredient Review board

Propylene Glycol -  allows other chemicals to penetrate into the skin, suspected Respiratory, Skin or sense organ, Immunotoxicity and Neurotoxicity hazards

Polyquaternium-10 - a mildly irritating toxic polymer

Sodium Chloride - common salt

Tetrasodium EDTA - allows other chemicals to penetrate into the skin

Citric Acid - OK depending on extraction process

Hexylene Glycol - neurotoxin, sensitizer and irritant

Triethanolomine - may contain residual levels of nitrosamines, a carcinogen

Methylchloroisothiazolinone -immune system toxin, lung sensitizer,

Geraniol - not assessed for safety by Cosmetics Ingredient Review board

Butylphenyl Methylpropional - not assessed for safety by Cosmetics Ingredient Review board

Linalool - not assessed for safety by Cosmetics Ingredient Review board

Hexyl Cinnamal - not assessed for safety by Cosmetics Ingredient Review board

Limonene - a hydrocarbon that poses potential risks to wildlife and the environment through water contamination. Carcinogen to some animals

Fragrance (I hate to think)

OK, so before I start sounding overly paranoid, I'm well aware that everything is made up of chemicals - even natural ingredients. 2 potentially nasty chemicals can also combine to make something quite safe and useful - e.g.; sodium + chloride = salt. The type and level of chemical hazard does also greatly depend on quantity and manufacturing - but the point is, they are being manufactured; in bulk - and that in itself poses huge risks for the environment. Nature may produce similar chemicals, but it's a natural process in harmony with the planet and environment.

And here's a real kicker - like so many other products in our modern lives, many chemicals used in shampoos have their origins as derivatives of crude oil.

So, do I really need the above chemical shampoo cocktail to wash my hair? No. After all that, I think I'll just stick with vegetable soap until I find a more earth-friendly shampoo. I really don't need "body and bounce" anyway since I have short hair :).

What does your shampoo bottle say? Could you be unwittingly poisoning yourself and the environment? Research the ingredients listed on your shampoo bottle.

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Michael Bloch
Green Living Tips.com
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Comments
  • Comment #1 (Posted by Mary)

    Your website is just what I've been looking for. I will be back!
     
  • Comment #2 (Posted by Andrea)

    I too was upset to read the ingredients list on my bottle of "organic" shampoo. Mine wasn't as bad as yours, but I remember it did have sodium lauryl sulfate and at least one other nasty ingredient. After doing some research, I found that unless the product is certified organic, you are likely to find at least a few nasty chemical ingredients in it. I found a nice shampoo that only uses a coconut and sugar based foaming agent (instead of the sodium lauryl sulfate). It works well and is not toxic. Find it at www.resonateorganics.com. They have lots of other safe products too...mostly certified organic.
     
  • Comment #3 (Posted by Michael (Green Living Tips))

    Thanks for the tip Andrea!
     
  • Comment #4 (Posted by Marcie)

    Thanks for the article! I too have been searching for a more eco-friendly shampoo for me & my family! It isn't easy!
     
  • Comment #5 (Posted by Michael (Green Living Tips))

    Marcie, I've been using vegetable soap on my hair now for nearly 12 months and I'm pleased to report it hasn't suffered any ill effects - in fact, the last time I had a haircut, the hairdresser commented on how soft it was :)
     
  • Comment #6 (Posted by HairDude)

    The reason there's a difference between soap and shampoo for hair is that there is a difference in the PH requirements for skin and hair. Hair prefers an acidic solution while that's not essential or even ideal for cleaning skin.
     
  • Comment #7 (Posted by ShampooGirl)

    If you aren't willing to give up your "body and bounce," try Aveda products. Their shampoo is fantastic (and their other products, as well) and they have been committed to finding alternatives to traditional chemicals used in cosmetics without sacrificing performance... perhaps even enhancing it. Most (if not all) is sustainably plant sourced. Check out http://www.aveda.com/customerservice/ourmission.tmpl to see everything that their company values and works towards. And, no, I don't work for them! Happy sudsing!
     
  • Comment #8 (Posted by Michael - Green Living Tips)

    HairDude, thanks for the info and ShampooGirl, thanks for the product recommendation :)
     
  • Comment #9 (Posted by Gemma)

    A great place to shop for earth friendly shampoo and other toiletries is Lush. (www.lush.com)

    Not only are they made with natural ingredients, shampoos are sold as solid bars with no packaging, and they last 3 times longer than the equivalent amount of liquid shampoo. Plus they smell absolutely amazing! Can you tell that I'm obsessed? :)
     
  • Comment #10 (Posted by stella taylor)

    Even though Lush do make nice products, a lot of them are made with Sodium Laurel Sulfate which is why they foam so nicely. Something I find helpful is to look for products that state clearly that they are sodium laurel sulfate and paraben free, then check the ingredient list for anything you dont recognise. If you dont know what it is, chances are that it might be harmful, so do some research first!
     
  • Comment #11 (Posted by Dei)

    When you come to think of it, you don't even need to was your hair with anything. After the adjusting period, just a proper rinse with warm water will do the trick. Check out this site for the whole story behind this http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/go/index.php/389/why-you-should-go-no-poo/

    I have now weaned myself out of shampoo (even though it took few weeks of terrible hair days), but it was really worth it. I just went cold turkey and only washed my hair with warm water. No more chemicals and unnecessary plastic bottles around my house ever again :) Don't worry if you think you have very oily hair, it will adjust itself with time. Earlier I couldn't go two days without shampoo, so I thought something must be wrong, and it can't be my head. How does my dog have such a silky and fluffy fur even though he gets washed once a year and it still doesn't smell?

    Nowadays my scalp is in balance with itself but if I really have something nasty stuck into my hair I use one cup of warm water + tablespoon of baking soda. What a wonderous cleaner that is :) Apple cider vinegar or lemonjuice with a pinch of salt and few drops of essential oils make a really good conditioner. (One tablespoon of ACV or lemonjuice + 1 cup warm water + few drops of for example lavender, tea tree or bergamot). I only use that conditioner rinse if I have washed my hair with something else than clean water. With normal water-only washes it doesn't need it.
     
  • Comment #12 (Posted by Michael - Green Living Tips)

    Gemma, thanks for the recommendation and Stella; thank you for the added heads up about Sodium Laurel Sulfate.

    Dei, I've known a few people to do what you've done with similar results. I tried it once (by choice), but cracked on the 3rd day :). These days I still just use vegetable soap in my hair and it works really, really well.
     
  • Comment #13 (Posted by Julia)

    I was just reading through my shampoo bottle and stumbled across this post. For those of you (with longer hair or chemically treated hair) you may want to try ABBA products. They have their Pure ABBA shampoos and conditions that are DEA free and Sulfate free. Plus they smell and feel great!
     
  • Comment #14 (Posted by Falon)

    Hey thanks for this webiste or caption. This was just what i have been looking for. I have a school project and this is exactly what i need. Thank you soo much!!! I will also think twics about what shampoo i use!!!
     
  • Comment #15 (Posted by sweeteepye)

    I'm also using ACV as a rinse/conditioner after my natural shampoo soap bar and it really helps to keep my hair smooth and feeling nice and light. However, it does smell so funky! That's one thing I'd like to find a solution to. ;p

     
  • Comment #16 (Posted by Jean)

    Castile soap is great, I am very sensitive to the chemicals in soap and castile is very gentle on my skin. Vermont Soap (www.vermontsoap.com) makes an organic soap that foams beautifully is a wonderful shampoo or body wash and you can buy it in a great varity of sizes. A little bit goes a long way. I use a lot less of this soap than I did of regular commerical products.
     
  • Comment #17 (Posted by sarah)

    I'm on swim team and I've been trying to use the baking soda method for my hair but it's been feeling very coarse. so, since I'm in chlorine at least every day is there a better way to wash my hair?
     
  • Comment #18 (Posted by Paula Urquhart)

    Hi there just a quick comment to you all, watch even for so called all natural products, as they could have only 1% all natural in them and still be classed as just that.... go to safecosmetics.org OR even better find out what is really in those products www.cosmeticdatabase.com (Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database) these are very educational.. definitely food for thought. I no longer USE any over the counter products and have my own company...Be educated, do your research and your KNOWLEDGE will be your benefit!! I have had a keen interest about all of this since I was 18 and I just turned 40!! I manufacture organic soap and body care products!! take care... Paula
     
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