Liquid Soap

The information provided here is about my liquid soap product. I believe in providing an alternative product that is natural and chemical free which is better for you and your family. My product will nourish and clean your hands, is gentle to the environment and is also cost effective. I use pure essential oils as an antibacterial/moisturiser. Our liquid soap is free from parabens, sulphates, ethoxylated and petrochemical cleansers, propylene glycol, silicons, phthalates, mineral oils, DEA, artificial colours and fragrances. All my products are made free from animal ingredients or animal by-products.   We take pride in the integrity of my products and openly share the ingredients we use. All my liquid soap are made with quality vegetable oils.

Why buy my product? In America they make and use more than 80,000 chemicals. You may be surprised to learn that a lot of the choices lining the soap aisles are not even soap and technically is a “synthetic detergent.“. Liquid commercial soap turns out to be a green issue, both health and environmental.

In 1865 William Shepphard created and patented liquid soap, it didn’t take off until 1980. Liquid soaps have become more and more popular in the past 15 years, both in the home and in public places such as hospitals and toilet facilities. They are now firmly resident in kitchens and bathrooms around the world.

However, have you ever wondered what goes into the liquid soaps you so often use? Some people find them drying on the skin and experience skin irritation after using them. This is known as contact dermatitis and it is particularly common in those who use liquid soaps regularly as part of their job; perhaps in a hospital or kitchen, where cleanliness is vital.

In commercial soap there many chemicals but two chemicals which are in use that I have written about is SLS  (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) and Triclosan which are responsible for most cases of contact dermatitis and health problems.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is a foaming agent used in many personal care products. As well as liquid soap, you’ll find it in shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste; potentially in pretty much anything that foams! Quite a few people are sensitive to SLS and may experience skin dryness or contact dermatitis after using products with it in. Sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate are both work by dissolving oil and dirt to clean them from your hands. Sodium laureth sulfate, or SLS, is also an emulsifier that helps to combine all the ingredients in the soap. Although SLES is somewhat less irritating than Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, it cannot be metabolised by the liver and its effects are therefore much longer-lasting. A report published in the Journal of The American College of Toxicology in 1983 showed that concentrations as low as 0.5% could cause irritation and concentrations of 10-30% caused skin corrosion and severe irritation, disrupts hormones, linked to eye irritation/eye deformities in children and is carcinogenicity.

In the last 100 years or so, many new health problems have come to light. These include PMS/PMT, the so-called “menopausal symptoms” which never used to exist, and more recently a massive drop in male fertility which threatens to continued our existence in many western countries. SLS is most likely a major contributor to all of these problems due to its oestrogen mimicking activity.  The result is hormonal chaos. The body can no longer control it’s own oestrogen levels and can’t tell the difference between endogenous oestrogen and SLS) and therefore loses control of many normal endocrine (hormonal) functions.

Protein Denaturing

Our cells are made from protein. Virtually every cell in the body is replaced at least every 7 years. SLS exerts its effects on proteins by forming a chemical bridge between the fat-soluble and water-soluble parts of the protein molecule. This disrupts the hydrophobic forces needed to maintain the protein structure and the molecule collapses, rendering it useless. This effect is usually irreversible.

Triclosan

This is antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral chemical. It is used in liquid soap, toothpastes, mouthwashes, shaving creams and deodorants. It is widely used and found in over half of all commercial soaps. In 2009, the American Public Health Association (APHA) proposed that it would endorse the banning of Triclosan for household and non-medical uses. One reason cited in the APHA proposal was the reports of both contact dermatitis. It causes a skin reaction when exposed to sunshine. It forms a rash on sun-exposed areas of the body.

Recent studies of triclosan in animals have led scientists to worry that it could increase the risk of infertility, early puberty and other hormone-related problems in humans.

Triclosan affects our waste water and ends up in rivers and other water courses. It is highly toxic to some types of algae and, if chlorine is present in the water, has been found to form potentially harmful chemicals called dioxins when exposed to sunlight.

Dioxins are neurotoxins that can cause cancer, nerve disorders, and immune system disorders. The chemicals are endocrine disrupters, blocking thyroid hormone metabolism and attaching to hormone receptors to block hormones.

According to the EPA, the chemicals can cause developmental and reproductive toxicity. They are carcinogens.  They contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria that causes infection in humans. According to the Natural Resources Defence Council (NDRC), in surveys of the American population between the ages of 6 and 65, 75 percent have residues of triclosan in their systems. You can absorb these toxic chemicals through your skin. In fact, the NDRC reports one study discovered higher levels of triclosan in the breast milk of nursing mothers.

The environmental impact of Triclosan has lead the Swedish nature conservation body Naturskyddsföreningen to recommend a national ban on consumer products which includes that chemical.

Environmental Impact

Use of such toxic soaps also means that the active chemicals will wind up in the soil and ground water. Triclosan and triclocarban don’t degrade. They remain in the environment for centuries after their use.

The EPA (Environment Protection Authority) has registered the chemical as pesticides, and has a chemical structure which is similar to many hazardous agents including dioxins, PCBs, and even Agent Orange.

This should raise some questions about the product you are using. That is why, it is wise to use chemical free liquid soap on your body? Why don’t you try Lavinia’s Chemical Free Liquid Soap.