Why Your Favorite Foam Is Not As Fun As You Think
by Reby Baldoz

Germaholics, clean freaks or bacteria police. Whatever you want to call it, it all boils down to one main word: cleanliness. We all know for a fact that Filipinos are obsessed with staying clean. Did you know that the everyday products you're using to stay clean could have harmful chemicals if you're not careful with what you buy?

Anti-bacterial addiction

Found in hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial soaps, triclosan is the most common anti-bacterial chemical. It has actually been found to cause endocrinal and reproductive malfunctions. Overuse of this hormone-disrupting ingredient can result in strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Not so feel-good foam 

SLS/SLES is a surfactant; a foaming agent used to bring dirt to the surface. It's responsible for all the suds that we associate with cleanliness. We automatically think, the more bubbly the product is, the cleaner we are. Unfortunately, the feel-good feeling you get from the suds leaves your body with not-so-good harmful and even toxic effects.

SLS strips off your skin's natural moisture barrier, irritating skin and leaving it rough and dry. SLS is also absorbed into the body and is known to mimic the hormone estrogen potentially posing health risks such as PMS and menopausal symptoms, dropping male fertility, and even increase in breast cancer.

SLES on the other hand is the alcohol form of SLS. While it may be slightly less irritating, it may also pose dangers as it cannot be metabolized by the liver, making the side effects much longer lasting. Tests have also shown that SLS/SLES can cause hair to become weak and brittle, leading to hair loss.

The products we use every day to "get clean" may hurt us in the long run. And just because a product is labeled "natural" doesn't mean it is free from Triclosan, SLS or SLES.