What are Parabens and SLS?
At Holland & Barrett our aim is to provide a toiletries range that is FREE from Parabens and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS).
You may have heard about how you should avoid Parabens or SLS in the products you buy, but you might be wondering why you should do so.
Parabens are a group of chemicals used as preservatives and can be found in toiletries products such as shampoos, moisturisers, shaving gels, cleansing gels, personal lubricants and toothpaste, to which they are added to kill bacteria, prevent the growth of mould and prolong the shelf-life of products. There is concern regarding the potential toxic effects of the absorption of Parabens via the skin.
They are also used as food additives in some products. Quite a large percentage of the products you buy for everyday use contain some form of paraben, so it can be difficult to find products that do not use them.
In recent years there has been discussion about the potential health risks of using parabens in skincare products. The debate continues but at Holland & Barrett we have decided to remove this preservative from the skincare and toiletries products we sell and look for ranges that offer our customers beautiful products to suit their skincare needs with more natural ingredients. Together with Dr Organic we have developed this range to offer just that.
The Dr Organic products:
- ARE FREE FROM Parabens
- ARE FREE FROM Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
- ARE Certified BioActive to ensure the functionality ingredients
- ARE NOT tested on animals or contain animal ingredients
- ARE FREE FROM harsh chemicals
- ARE FREE FROM GM Ingredients
- ARE FREE FROM Mineral Oils
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is commonly used in soaps, shampoos, detergents, toothpastes and other products that we expect to foam up when we use them as it is a very effective foaming agent.
We want you to enjoy using the products you buy from us and so the reason we at Holland & Barrett are avoiding this ingredient in the toiletries products we sell is that they could cause irritation to the skin, eyes and scalp, as the Sodium Lauryl Sulphate found in many ordinary soaps is exactly the same as you would find used to degrease car engines. In the same way it dissolves the grease on car engines, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause skin irritation and drying, and there are concerns it may potentially cause more serious health risks.
