1) Ammonium Chloride: Industrially employed in freezing mixtures, batteries, dyes, safety explosives, and in medicine as a urinary acidifier and diuretic. If ingested, can cause nausea, vomiting, and acidosis in doses of 0.5 to 1 gram. Lethal as an intramuscular dose in rats and guinea pigs. As with any ammonia compound, concentrated solutions can be irritating to the skin.
2) Glycerin: Any by-product of soap manufacturing obtained by adding alkalis to fats and fixed oils. A solvent, humectant, and emollient in many cosmetics, it absorbs moisture from the air and therefore, helps keep moisture in creams and other products, even if the consumer leaves the cap off the container. In and of itself glycerin is not a bad ingredient. It’s actually very beneficial when derived from the right source and is found in many organic products. The main problem with a lot of the glycerin being used in mainstream products stems from the fact that unless a product label states that it was derived from a vegetable or coconut source, it was likely obtained from pig fat. WARNING TO KEEPERS OF LEVITICAL CLEANLINESS LAWS!
3) Glycol Distearate: A widely used surfactant made from glycerin and stearic acid. Glycol literally means “glycerin” plus “alcohol.” (Stearic acid is also an animal fat and isopropyl alcohol is derived from petroleum.) This ingredient can be caustic on your skin.
4) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): Prepared by sulfation of lauryl alcohol followed by neutralization with sodium carbonate. May cause drying of the skin because of its degreasing ability and is an irritant to the skin. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is an ingredient found in over 90% of commercial shampoos and conditioners. It has been shown to corrode the hair follicles and impede hair growth and has been blamed for many cases of premature hair loss. The Material Safety Data Sheet provided by the U.S. government says exposure to SLS can lead to a burning sensation, coughing, wheezing, laryngitis, shortness of breath, headache, nausea and vomiting. According to the American College of Toxicology, SLS stays in the body up to five days. Other studies show that it easily penetrates the skin and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, the lungs, and the brain.
5) Octoxynols: Wax-like emulsifiers, dispersing agents, and detergents derived from phenol and used as a surfactant.
6) Phenol: Obtained from coal tar. Ingestion of even small amounts of phenol may cause nausea, vomiting, circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, coma, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest.
7) Coal Tar: Thick liquid or semisolid tar obtained from bituminous coal, it contains many constituents including benzene, xylenes, naphthalene, pyridine, quinolineoline, phenol, and cresol. The main concern about coal tar derivatives is that they cause cancer in animals, and they are also frequent sources of allergic reactions — particularly skin rashes and hives.
8) Fragrance: Fragrance is found in most deodorants, shampoos, sunscreens, skin care, body care and baby products. Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate ingredients. Almost all of them are synthetic. Symptoms reported to the FDA have included headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and allergic skin irritations. (Fragrance is a clever way for manufacturers to disguise lethal and harmful ingredients and is virtually unregulated by the EPA or the FDA.)
10) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate: A preservative widely used in cosmetics. Has been shown to adversely affect livers in rats in feeding studies. It also affected their behavior. It was also mildly irritating in human testing. (Carbamates are used in pesticides. Carbamic acid, which is colorless and odorless, causes depression of bone marrow, degeneration of the brain, nausea and vomiting. It is moderately toxic by many routes.)
11) Blue 1: A bright blue, coal tar derivative, triphenylmethane, used for hair colorings, face powders, and other cosmetics (see coal tar). May cause allergic reactions. On the FDA permanent list of color additives. Rated 1A – that is, completely acceptable for nonfood use – by the World Health Organization. However, it produces malignant tumors at the site of injection and by ingestion in the rat.
12) Yellow 5: A lemon yellow coal tar derivative. (See coal tar)
13) Red 40: Many American scientists feel that the safety of Red No. 40 is far from established, particularly because the manufacturer conducted all of the tests. Therefore, the dye should not have received a permanent safety rating. The National Cancer Institute reported that p-credine, a chemical used in preparation of Red No. 40, was carcinogenic in animals. In rats, a high oral dose of the coloring caused adverse reproductive effects. It has been shown to cause skin sensitivity and irritation. Absorption of certain colors by the body can also cause depletion of oxygen.
This brief list of ingredients doesn’t even scratch the surface. There are thousands of others on the market and what I’ve just pointed out is pretty much the norm with most of them.
(http://www.thenhf.com/article.php?id=580 )
If that doesn't scare you away from conventional shampoos and soaps then I don't know what will. I copied and pasted from the cited website to save time, but do a little research of your own. You'll find a treasure trove of terrifying information on the products we apply to our bodies every single day.
