Health + Infertility – Part 3: Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Today I’m continuing my series on how the environment and household products have an effect on fertility and our health. The first was about BPA and the second was about Triscolan.

Today’s post is about Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), which is another household product that affects our health. It is a detergent found in personal care products such as body wash, shampoo, deodorant, etc. This is the same chemical that is found in products used to degrease car engines and used in car washes. Eww. Please tell me this disturbs everyone else as much as it does me?

The problem with SLS is when it’s absorbed in our body it mimics estrogen. This is very similar to the chemical Triclosan. It causes a drop in fertility, affects hormone levels, causes PMS, diminishes hair growth and is known to be a contributing factor in cancer. It can also cause skin irritation and eczema on infants (yes SLS is in baby products too – ugh, sickening).

Make sure to check out your cosmetic and household products and avoid SLS, when possible. It might also show up on the back of your bottles as the following:

• sodium dodecyl sulfate
• lauryl sodium sulfate
• sodium n-dodecyl sulfate
• lauryl sulfate sodium salt

I hope everyone gets rid of all products that contain SLS. It sickens me that this chemical, which has such a negative effect on our health, is allowed and so common. This isn’t just a concern for people desiring to conceive, but in my opinion, everyone. For anyone reading this is who is on the track to motherhood, see the last box in the chart below, sickening!

To find out more about SLS, google SLS + fertility.