What is SLS?
Thanks.
Pretty sure I just have dry scalp, not dandruff. Something that will have a moisturizing effect would be good. Under $20 would also be good.
No problem.Interesting. Thanks for the link.
nancy boy shampoo. Great all-around product (most of their stuff is)
Also, Giovanni shampoo is also SLS free. You should be able to find this one at a heath food store and I think its at Walgreens also.
I have the Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo & conditioner. It's very good and it has a nice minty scent. It also has a nice cooling sensation that is nice in the summer.
I love the tea tree, I use it to keep my dandruff under control. Its very nice shampoo.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Amusing...
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. National Institutes of Health "Household Products Directory" of chemical ingredients lists over 80 products that contain sodium lauryl sulfate. Some soaps have concentrations of up to 30%, which the ACT report called "highly irritating and dangerous".
Some people are sensitive and long-term exposure strips the oils off the skin and causes a minor rash. No arguments there.
However, let me put something into perspective: lemon juice will DESTROY your skin in short order. Try washing your arms in a 5 gallon bucket of fresh-squeezed lemon juice for 2 hours, you will have severely deteriorating skin. It's the citric acid.
SLES is ... annoying, as it doesn't metabolize easily; it's also not a chemical I've researched extensively.
SLS, on the other hand, has been fed to rats as a large portion of their food for extended periods. They got rather sick... extremely sick in fact, just like you'd be if I fed you a bottle of mineral oil every day. Well, okay, worse than that. The funny thing is they got better when the SLS was removed from their diet, in about a week, with no long-term effects observed.
I don't recommend eating SLS any more than I recommend soaking for hours in concentrated citric acid. That said, it's about the most benign industrial chemical I've come across in ... well, anything. There is a reason this stuff is in everything from tooth paste to laundry detergent, and it probably has something to do with it being about the least harmful thing you can find on this planet that does the job they need it to do.
So yeah. Some people are sensitive, and it's obviously more dangerous than water. I just dislike seeing every single industrial chemical put up with huge hype about how horribly, grossly destructive they are and how they'll give you cancer, blind your dog, and beat your wife. That article's loaded too, notice it references SLES as being harmful because it can be "contaminated" with a harmful substance that's not SLES. Also notice that they point out it's used as an engine degreaser; I'm not saying Mr. Wight will stab you in the throat, but he does carry a knife....
Carry on.