Parabens? Sulfates? You've probably heard of these two words, especially when it comes to shopping around for beauty, bath, and personal care products. But what exactly are these chemicals and what do they mean? Are they really that bad?
What are Parabens? What are Sulfates? Here's the scoop:
Parabens are chemicals commonly used in your cosmetics, skin-care, hair-care, and personal hygiene products. Their main function is to preserve shelf life and prevent the growth of bacteria within products. There are many different types of parabens you will encounter upon reading labels: methylparaben, propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, and isobutylparaben just to name a few. Basically any ingredient with the word "paraben" in the root.
Sulfates are the ingredient that causes the lathering affect when washing your hair with shampoo, but can also be found in body washes and toothpaste. The thick lather we experience is mostly caused by Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLS works as a detergent that rids your hair of oil and dirt. It's comprised of crystalized salt.
How can they harm our health?
Parabens have been found to disrupt hormone function by mimicking the estrogen in the body's cells. This activity has been proven to increased the risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity. Parabens have environmental risk as well, as they have been found in the bodies of marine mammals.
Sulfates have been known to cause a plethora of allergic reactions as well as organ toxicity and environmental damage. Other than that, they can cause some serious problems for your hair. Pro-longed of this harsh chemical can strip your hair of it's natural oils which cause scalp irritation, drying of the hair, and hair loss.
So what are the alternatives?
Luckily, it is easy to replace your sulfate and paraben loaded products with much more healthy, natural, and eco-friendly alternatives. Now that you know which ingredients to scan for on the label, you can avoid them. Earth Vibes formulates all of our products to be 100% sulfate and paraben free! So look no further for the perfect alternative, we are one step ahead of you. Our high quality "Natural Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner" are sold separately or together. We also created an "Argan Oil Hair Mask" and "Leave-in Conditioner Detangler Spray" so you have everything you need for healthy, luscious hair without harming yourself or our environment.
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