Wednesday 20 July 2016

Harmful Ingredients in Shaving Creams to Look Out For

Shaving creams are an important piece of the shaving puzzle. The primary function of shaving creams is to create lather. Irrespective of the kind or brand, shaving creams are usually made up of 80% water. So basically what this means is that much of the differentiating ingredient from one brand to the other falls in the remaining 20%. Like is experienced in other health products, there are some harmful ingredients secretly introduced into the creams to make it produce more lather.


Propolene Glycol
It is a humectant like glycerin (humectant - a big word that means any substance that promotes the retention of water). Unlike glycerin, propolene glycol is found in brake fluid and antifreeze.
Triethanolamine (TEA)
TEA is better known in the chemist world as an emulsifying agent. Basically it helps bind water and fat together. While this may not seem harmful in itself, TEA is suspected to be a leading cause of skin irritation and also found to be in connection with nitrosamines. Nitrosamine is reputable for its link to cancer.
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES)
Both of these ingredients cause great formation of lather but also have health implications. SLS acts like estrogen in women, while SLES acts as host to a carcinogen called dioxane.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blogarama - Tools Blogs