The Main Reasons You Must Switch to All Natural Soaps

Soaps are the most frequently used personal care products by far.

They are products that most people use mindlessly, from public bathroom dispensers to buying whatever bar is on sale. Soap is not really seen as something that could be harmful to health - most people are completely unaware of the potential harm that regular soaps can pose to human health and wellness.

Even those who do seek out “natural” or “green” soaps are easily mislead by the enticing labels and packaging, as many of the ingredients lists of these products are still full of mysterious chemicals names in the fine print.

In this article, we will cover:

The greatest health risk of using these non-natural/green washed soaps: Endocrine Disruption.
A breakdown what all those chemicals actually are, and the negative effects of absorbing them through the skin or inhalation.
Greenwashed "natural" products, and how they can mislead you.

What is endocrine disruption?

The term "endocrine disruption" may sound unfamiliar, but its implications are far-reaching, and likely affecting most people on Earth to some degree.

First lets get clear on the endocrine system:

The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and organs in the body that produce and secrete hormones. The endocrine system needs to be in good working order and protected from harm for us to have the proper balance of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, insulin, thryoid, cortisol and more. These hormones regulate various physiological processes, including growth, development, metabolism, mood, and reproductive functions.

Now on to the disruptors:

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are chemicals that interfere with the body's hormonal signaling, potentially affecting the development of reproductive and nervous systems, metabolism, and even increasing the risk of cancer.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), these compounds can lead to a variety of health issues, including altered reproductive development and endocrine-related diseases.

These EDCs are very often found in products such as:

personal care products (including soaps)
sunscreens
cleaners
cosmetics
perfumes

Unfortunately, most people are using these EDC ridden products daily, in various forms which will pose a risk to their endocrine system and gradually disregulate their hormones.

Next we will cover the most commonly used EDCs in soaps, what they are and how they can harm you.

Harmful Ingredients in your soap, and what they're doing to you:

Parabens

Used as preservatives and antimicrobial agents in most cosmetics, soaps, shaving creams, suncreens, and other personal care.

Effects:

Endocrine disrupting, estrogenic, found to cause reproductive harm in animal studies.

Pthalates

Pthalates are used as solvents in personal care products such as perfumes, dryer sheets, bathroom cleaners, shaving cream, and lipstick. Pthalate alternatives are commonly found in 'alternative' and 'green' or 'clean label' options.

Effects:

Altered male genital development, respiratory symptoms, impaired semen quality, endocrine disruption, and adverse reproductive outcomes.

Fragrances

Fragrances are added to products to achieve a desired scent or mask other scents in the product. More than 3,000 fragrance ingredients have been reported, and a fragranced product may contain 50–300 different chemicals. Fragrances are found throughout all types of soaps, cleaners, cosmetics, and personal care products.

Effects:

Allergic contact dermatitis, asthma and asthmatic exacerbations, headaches, and mucosal symptoms. Synthetic musks have been shown to have estrogenic effects

Cyclosiloxanes

Also known as silicones are very widely used in consumer products to enhance spreading and conditioning. They're found in baby products, personal care, shampoos, conditioners, cleaning supplies, suncreen, and more.

Effects:

Estrogenic, potentially carcinogenic

Antimicrobials

Usually triclosan or triclocarban found most commonly in the pink 'antibacterial' soap found in commercial bathrooms, but also in generic bar soaps, toothpastes, detergents, and other antibacterial products.

Effects:

Thyroid disruption, liver tumor promotor, fertility and reproductive harm

Glycol Esters

A class of chemicals in 80+ varations (commonly ****oxyethanol) found in conventional cleaners, face lotion, polish/wax, sunscreen, and in alternative shaving cream, pillow protector, and sunscreen samples.

Effects:

In human studies, exposure to glycol ethers has been associated with low sperm mobility, hematological effects, and asthma and allergies.

UV Filters

A group of chemical compounds used for the application of 'skin protection' and product stability. Mostly found in suncreen but also in other skin care products.

Effects:

Endocrine disruption, estrogenic, developmental harm.

BPA

Typically used in epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics, but also found in shampoos, shaving cream, conditioners, nail polish, bathroom cleaners.

Effects:

Endocrine disruption in multiple organs, impairs sperm quality, estrogen dominance.

Ethanolamines. Monoethanolamine (MEA), Diethanolamine (DEA)

Used as emulsifiers in cleaners and degreasers, detergents, soaps, cosmetics, hair dyes, dryer sheets, makeup, bathroom cleaner, shampoos, and in lotions and creams.

Effects:

Liver and kidney damage, associated with asthma, and can potentially form carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Alkylphenols, Alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEOs)

Also known as phenoxyethanol in 'clean label' products, commonly used as surfactants in consumer products such as detergents, disinfectants, and surface cleaners

Effects:

Estrogenic, reproductive harm.

All of these chemicals can be absorbed into our bloodstream by inhalation or through skin contact. When taking into account that a person may use several products containing some of these chemicals, multiple times per day, the exposures really add up.

The issue with many natural brands.

While the labels "natural," "nontoxic," and "green" might lead you to believe that you're making a healthier choice, these terms are largely unregulated and can be misleading - they require no standardized ingredient information.

In fact, a study by Steinemann et al. (2011) found that the VOC composition of fragranced products labeled as "green" did not significantly differ from other fragranced products in terms of the number of hazardous chemicals used as defined under U.S. federal laws.

This phenomenon, known as greenwashing, highlights the need for consumers to be vigilant and informed about the products they use. With a rise of interest in natural, health-conscious products, many big companies are looking for ways to profit off of, or retain customers they may lose to a truly natural company, and they can do it by providing a green-washed offering, at a cheap price, in all the easily accessible big box stores.

Generic Soap: Not Your Friend

When you think of soap, you probably picture something pleasant, like a little helper, something that is keeping you healthy and smelling good. Unfortunately, most soaps on the market aren’t your friend.

Your health and wellness largely depends on what goes into the body on a daily basis, and using toxic chemicals one your skin multiple times a day is bound to make a negative impact. Endocrine disruption doesn’t occur overnight or after one use, it’s a gradual process that leads to many of the hormone-relatated health problems we see today.

The good news is, Healthy Home soaps don't contain any of these harmful chemicals. Our soaps will always be mostly organic, and have minimal, real food-based ingredient lists. It's time to prioritize your health over convenience, and be aware of the green-washed ‘natural’ soaps out there, for your health, and the health of your family.

References:

Dodson RE, Nishioka M, Standley LJ, Perovich LJ, Brody JG, Rudel RA. Endocrine disruptors and asthma-associated chemicals in consumer products. Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Jul;120(7):935-43. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1104052. Epub 2012 Mar 8. PMID: 22398195; PMCID: PMC3404651.

Singh S, Li SS. Epigenetic effects of environmental chemicals bisphenol A and phthalates. Int J Mol Sci. 2012;13(8):10143-10153. doi: 10.3390/ijms130810143. Epub 2012 Aug 15. PMID: 22949852; PMCID: PMC3431850.

Yueh MF, Taniguchi K, Chen S, Evans RM, Hammock BD, Karin M, Tukey RH. The commonly used antimicrobial additive triclosan is a liver tumor promoter. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Dec 2;111(48):17200-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1419119111. Epub 2014 Nov 17. PMID: 25404284; PMCID: PMC4260592.

Fruh V, Preston EV, Quinn MR, Hacker MR, Wylie BJ, O'Brien K, Hauser R, James-Todd T, Mahalingaiah S. Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and personal care product use during pregnancy - Results of a pilot study. Sci Total Environ. 2022 Aug 20;835:155439. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155439. Epub 2022 Apr 22. PMID: 35469886.

Maksymowicz M, Ręka G, Machowiec P, Piecewicz-Szczęsna H. Impact of Triclosan on Female and Male Reproductive System and Its Consequences on Fertility: A Literature Review. J Family Reprod Health. 2022 Mar;16(1):33-42. doi: 10.18502/jfrh.v16i1.8592. PMID: 35903762; PMCID: PMC9287115.