The Potential Dangers Of Commercial Soap

When you head to the supermarket, there are many varieties of soap on the shelves. And while they promise to leave you clean and fresh, they don’t advertise some of the dangers lurking in their ingredients.

Cleanse Your Skin With Animal Fat?

cow in pasture Many soaps contain animal fat. This means that most commercial soap isn’t appropriate for someone who is vegetarian or vegan to use. You’ll see animal fats listed as the ingredient “tallow”.

I found this “how to” article about rendering tallow to make soap – you can check it out here. Aside from the whole issue of using animals as food or to make products, this whole process is pretty gross when you think about it (and see the pictures).

Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Watch Out For Those Suds!

The main ingredient in most commercial soaps is called sodium laurel sulfate. It’s actually a skin irritant and a toxin that gets introduced to your skin when you use soap that contains it. This ingredient is what causes the soap to lather, but is also what causes your eyes to burn when soap comes in contact with them.

This is particularly important if you have sensitive skin. Your skin may not be able to handle the irritation caused by soaps that contain sodium laurel sulfate. It can be frustrating that a product that’s supposed to help your skin actually causes harm.

Awareness about “sulfates” has increased in recent years and you’ll find many products – shampoos in particular – that now advertise the fact they are sulfate-free. There are still plenty of divided opinions about the actual danger they cause, but the evidence I’ve seen makes me want to err on the side of caution.

A Note About Artificial Colors And Fragrances

With commercial soaps, you also have the addition of artificial colors and fragrances. Rather than using natural ingredients that could be beneficial to your body, these soaps expose your skin to many artificial chemicals.

It’s believed that approximately 60% of what comes in contact with your skin is absorbed by it. It goes from the skin and travels through your bloodstream to the rest of the body. And when it comes to artificial fragrances, your body can absorb all of it.

And sensitive areas of the body including the genital region can absorb even more than 60% of ingredients. That makes it very important to be careful about what you put in contact with your skin.

Other Considerations

Soaps also strip your skin of natural oils that it needs to remain waterproof and to be supple. When you take these oils away you can expose your skin to more toxins from the environment and it can become dry and flaky.

Because so many of the artificial chemicals in soap are toxic and irritating, it’s best to avoid exposing your body to the potential dangers associated with it whenever possible. Your best bet? Stick with cleansers that don’t contain these types of harsh chemicals and choose natural or preferably organic alternatives.

You can learn more about the benefits of using organic soap in this related article.