No More Acne

Shampoo and toothpaste are two household items that we use on a regular basis. Those of us that suffer from acne never think twice about what sort of influence these two products may have on our skin. If you currently suffer from acne, and are constantly having to deal with acne around your mouth and hairline that has been unresponsive to treatment, your choice of shampoo and/or toothpaste may be to blame. In order to protect your skin from further breakouts, you need to find a product that contains the right combination of ingredients. We will be exploring what makes a good product below.

The majority of shampoos and toothpastes currently available on the market contain an additive known as sodium lauryl sulfate. To understand why this additive is being widely used, we need to consider the type of water that reaches most homes. In the United States, more than three quarters of homes receive what is known as hard water. This water has a significant mineral content. You can generally tell whether or not your home receives this type of water by examining your bathroom fixtures. If you notice mineral deposits in and around them, there is a high probability that you’ve been treating your skin with hard water.

Hard water has one major deficiency: it does not properly react with soap and other cleaning products. Instead of forming a lather as it should, this water combines with soap to form soap scum. Essentially, it is unable to facilitate the cleaning effect which soap was designed for. Since an overwhelming portion of Americans only have access to hard water, soap, shampoo, and toothpaste manufacturers started to include sodium lauryl sulfate in their products. This chemical provides that lather effect which we are all accustomed to in the absence of softer water. This forcefully induced lather, however, comes at a cost.

Sodium lauryl sulfate has shown been shown to induce skin irritation in even small concentrations. For someone with acne-prone skin, irritation is very bad news. If you consider the fact this chemical is also used in industrial-grade cleaning products, it should become evident that it is quite harsh. Although not formally labeled a carcinogen, SLS is classified as a pesticide. There is little effort underway in the industry to replace SLS. It is a very inexpensive fix for an otherwise expensive problem. Water treatment would be far more expensive to implement than simply adding SLS to cleaning products.

Fortunately, you can take some steps to protect yourself against SLS. First off, avoid products that contain this harmful ingredient. You can quickly scan shampoo and toothpaste containers to ensure they lack this ingredient. When purchasing a shampoo, you also want to avoid other harsh chemicals such as alcohol, which can come into contact with your facial skin and further irritate it. Basic shampoos are a good bet. Toothpaste can be somewhat more menacing in the case of acne. Toothpastes often contain fluoride, a chemical used to strengthen tooth enamel. Fluoride is a skin irritant, and can trigger acne in the area surrounding the mouth (and other acne-like conditions). Those who battle acne in this area should consider switching to a non-fluorinated toothpaste, and can consult their dentist for further advice.

Tags: Acne, sls and acne, SLS acne

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