Many of us hardly turn around and check the ingredients list of those fancy-looking shampoo bottles which promise us silky and shiny hair in just one wash. Not many of us look for harmful ingredients before buying any beauty item, let alone shampoos. It’s high time we eliminate toxic chemicals from our beauty, hair and skin care items, and it’s a good idea to start this mission with shampoos. So, in this post, we have listed out 12 harmful ingredients to avoid in shampoo.

1. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is perhaps the most common ingredient found in shampoos and soaps. This detergent is widely used in garage floor cleaners, engine cleaners etc., and it’s also used as a foaming agent in most of the shampoos. On the other hand, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is the alcohol form of SLS. It is a higher-foaming variation of SLS. Though they share many properties yet SLES is less irritating than SLS. Sodium Laureth Sulfate is often contaminated with carcinogens like 1,4 dioxane and ethylene oxide. Harmful effects of SLS and SLES:

? Damages hair follicle and triggers hair fall.

? Has protein denaturing properties which may cause skin inflammation

? Threat to immune system

? Enhances allergic response to other toxins

? May cause cataracts in adults

? May hinder in the proper development of children’s eyes.
2. Diethanolamine (DEA) or Triethonalamine (TEA): Theses chemicals are used as wetti...