Q: If shampoo, do you choose the brands that have fewer chemicals and are better for the environment? If something else, what do you use instead and how well does it work? Serious answers only, please! I'm starting to think more about the chemicals and toxins I put on my body and in my hair... these things eventually absorb INTO the body. I can't help but wonder if this isn't part of why there is so much more cancer and other diseases in the world today... Thanks for your input! Thanks for the warning on watching what I ingest and inhale... but, I'm already doing that. ;) Absorption is just next on my list of things to consider and I thought I'd start at the "top" of the body with shampoo. :)
A: Since your skin is your largest organ we absorb between 40-60% of what is put on it, so I try to avoid harmful or potentially harmful chemicals in most of my personal care products and cleaning products. I have been using a product by Aveda which tries to use natural ingredients as much as possible. I will howevere be trying to find a new product because I also want to avoid sodium laurel sulfates not because they are bad for me, but because they are bad for the planet. It is a mild skin irritant, but it comes from palm oil and growing palm trees is responsible for a lot of rain forest destruction. I agree it is a good idea to start with one thing and slowly make a change, I only replace things as I run out of what I'm using. I also have a useful websit, it has a cosmetics data base that allows you to look up specific brands or products so you can see which chemicals are in them and what the known or suspected risks are.