Detergent powder, detergent bar, liquid detergent are all our day to day necessities.
Markets are flooded with many popular brands which makes it difficult to choose any one product, moreover every few days these brands come up with new schemes and eye-catching advertisements, which attracts us and leaves a great impact on our minds.
We pick up any one of the popular branded detergents from the shelves and happily start using them without much thought.
But do you know, problems like skin allergies, rashes, body acne, respiratory disorders may also be triggered through some toxic ingredients in the detergents. It's a bit difficult to believe but it's a fact, generally people don't understand this at the initial stage and by the time they realize the problem becomes huge.
This doesn't mean that a particular brand or particular product is causing an allergy; sometimes a particular ingredient used in that product doesn't suit you and that may cause allergies or rashes.
Everyone knows that detergent powder is essential for washing clothes, but no one thinks that even this may contain harmful ingredients which may harm our health and environment too.One fine day all of a sudden when a person sees rashes or acne on their body, it's really difficult to figure out the cause for such reactions.
First thing which comes to mind is, it may be food or drug allergy, no one thinks that even detergent can be a culprit. So to be on safer side, it's very important that everyone should develop the habit of reading product details before buying.
Few harmful ingredients in detergent which may cause allergy are -
- Toxic Preservatives, Phosphates, Parabens
- Surfactants
- Artificial fragrance
- Sodium Laureth sulfate, SLS
- Bleach
- Formaldehyde
- Dyes
- VOC
Preservatives
- Preservatives are used to prolong the shelf life of detergents, it also kills bacteria and maintains the effectiveness of the product.
- Most common preservatives used are parabens.
Surfactants
- There are different types of surfactants which are used to boost the effectiveness of the detergent. Some surfactants release dirt from the fabric, some are helpful in removing oil based stains, some act as fabric softener. But sometimes these surfactants when in contact with skin may cause irritation and other allergies too.
Artificial Fragrance:
- Artificial fragrance made with chemicals is added to the detergent which leaves a mild pleasing smell on clothes after rinsing, these may also cause severe skin allergies.
Sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) :
- SLS is a foaming agent,used in detergents, it boosts effectiveness of the detergent by allowing water and oil - two immiscible substances - to emulsify, which can easily clean dirt from the clothes.
- SLS is widely used because it is very effective and inexpensive but can cause severe skin allergies, such as eczema, rosacea and psoriasis. People with sensitive skin should avoid using detergents with SLS.
Bleach:
- Bleach is used in the detergents for brightening white clothes but when it comes in contact with the skin it can cause severe allergic reactions and sometimes eye irritation too.
Formaldehyde:
- Formaldehyde is used in detergents as a preservative and antibacterial agent, regular use can cause eye irritation, and may affect the respiratory system and lungs too. It can also cause eczema and contact dermatitis, it is also linked with cancer.
Dyes:
- Dyes are used for giving pleasing colour to the detergent, this might also causes allergies.
Common allergy symptoms are -
- Skin irritation
- Swelling in the affected area
- Red rashes
- Itching
- Bumps
- Blisters
- Eczema
- Sometimes cut marks on fingers and palm.
- Asthma
- Respiratory disorder
- Body acne
Few more disadvantages of detergents are
- Most of the detergents are non biodegradable which may cause soil and water pollution, which means it is not only affecting our life it is also affecting animals life which lives on soil and in water.
- Detergent forms more foam hence you need more water for rinsing clothes.
- If there are harsh chemicals in detergent it may weaken the fabric.
- Colour of fabric may also fade due to harsh chemicals.
- The fabric may become weak, get torned, and look old sooner.
- If the detergent is not rinsed off properly then it can get deposited into the fabric weave and make it look dull.
What should we do to avoid unwanted problems:
To avoid unwanted problems always do some research, there are few brands which are chemical and toxin free and are biodegradable. You can also try some DIYs if you can spare time for the same.
Some popular DIY for regular use can be:
- Use Soapnut Seeds to create a laundry soak.
- Use vinegar as fabric softener
Rustic Home Laundry Care Range
Our laundry powders are made with only natural and organic minerals. They contain organic soap made from Neem and Coconut, other natural minerals and additional goodness of essential oils to further disinfect the laundry.
It is safe for use for you, your family and environment. It is also biodegradable, which means it is safe for the environment too. It does not pollute water and soil hence animals and birds are also unaffected.
Here I would love to share that a few Rustic art power laundry users have shared their experience, how they have recovered from allergic reactions, back acne and rashes after switching to Rustic art power laundry and the best thing is that their doctor advised them to use it. Don't you think this is so amazing?
