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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Ask Dr. Desai ~ Tips for buying green personal care products

This is the fourth article in this series on which ingredients you need to avoid in products. This month: Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES).

What is Sodium Laureth Sulfate?
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is a synthetic surfactant that is derived from ethoxylated lauryl alcohol.

What is the purpose of SLES in personal care products?
SLES is a synthetic foaming agent and emulsifier considered to be a gentler version of the harsher detergent called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). The gentler version is produced via an ethoxylation reaction and hence the presence of “–eth” in the name.
What kinds of products is SLES found in?
SLES has been used in a wide variety of personal care products such as shampoos, body washes, makeup foundations, toothpaste, cleansers, laundry detergents, liquid hand soaps, etc.

What health risks are associated with SLES?
Ethoxylation results in impurities like 1,4 dioxane which has been classified by the EPA as a Group B2 probably human carcinogen. Detergents like SLES are also linked to toxic effects to the brain and central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The Cosmetics Ingredient Review (CIR) an industry panel, acknowledges that SLES is an eye and skin irritant, however concludes that they are safe to use. While impurities such as 1,4 dioxane can be removed through additional processing such as vacuum stripping, most consumers would have no way to know if the SLES used in their product had gone through such additional processing. Thus, it is best to avoid products that contain ethoxylated ingredients. These can be identified by ingredients that have an “eth” in their names: such as laureth, myreth, oleth, ceteareth, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, and polyoxyethylene.

Dr. Desai will be speaking at the MindBodySpirit Expo on Saturday, May 3 in Somerset. Visit MindBodySpiritExpo.com for additional details on his talk called “What’s In Your Cosmetics and Personal Care Products?”

Dr. Vinay Desai is a naturalist and a pharmaceutical scientist with a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and an MBA, and is the co-founder and CEO of Dr. Desai Soap, premium all natural goat’s milk ayurvedic herbal skin care solutions. Dr. Desai Soap is a Green America Approved business. Through community awareness programs, Dr. Desai has helped educate people in the sustainable practices of using solar power and green personal care products.

Do you have a question about natural personal care products? Please send your questions to [email protected] or call 908-236-6742. For more information, visit DrDesaiSoap.com.

Local Insights
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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