When you pick up the bottle of body wash in your shower you will likely see one of these two ingredients: Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), listed as at least one of the top ten.  This is the cleansing ingredient that not only cleans the dirt, oil and residue off you but also gives you the pretty lather you get when you squeeze the body wash on your sponge/loofa/wash cloth, mix in some water and proceed to scrub.  Awesome, right?
The lather is the fun part about body wash, bubble bath, and even shampoo.  It’s the part that gives you confidence that you’re getting clean, and let’s face it’s pretty to look at.  It’s just as pretty to look at when you are washing your dishes, your clothes, or even your shower walls because the cleansing agent in your shampoo is the same as the lathering agent in your toilet cleaner.  That’s some pretty harsh stuff to use on your body and in your hair.
Sulfates are unhealthy for your body from head to toe. The level of cleansing that sulfates provides is high, which is great for household cleaning, but unnecessarily high for one’s body.  This contributes to stripping essential oils and nutrients from your body and hair.  Reports have shown that sulfates cause skin irritations and rashes, especially to individuals with fragile or sensitive skin.  They can also contribute to blemishes, especially on young skin.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacete (SLSA) is a milder, safer alternative that gives you’re the luxurious lather you desire and leave you clean, without subjecting your hair and body to a harsh irritant.   While SLSA is almost a requirement for those with sensitive skin, to treat your body to the care it deserves using products that are made with SLSA versus sulfates allows everyone to preserve your skin’s health.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacete is commonly confused with both Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate.  When reading your labels it is important to note the difference in the name, as there is a drastic difference in the ingredients.
How safe is your skin? Take a look around your bathroom and take a peek at some of your favorites and see what you find.