Shower Gel Use: Choose the Best One for You.

In most cases, shower gel is selected on the basis of its texture or fragrance. However, colored or strongly scented products are likely to contain chemical agents. These are often irritating or allergenic. So, ban products containing parabens (preservatives suspected of being endocrine disruptors), colorants, synthetic fragrances, methylchloroisothiazolinone (MIT) or methylisothiazolinone (preservatives used to replace parabens but which have allergenic properties), phenoxyethanol (a compound suspected of being an endocrine disruptor), phthalates (carcinogenic and endocrine disruptor), etc…

Shower gel is made up of surfactants, or washing agents. Sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauroyl sulfate are the most commonly used. They are favored by manufacturers for their affordability. What's more, cleansing products containing these surfactants lather abundantly. However, these surfactants strip the skin and damage the hydrolipidic barrier. Studies have shown them to present irritant risks. In view of this potential risk, it's best to opt for body washes based on gentle, plant-derived surfactants, such as coco-glucoside, coco-betaine, sodium lauroyl lactylate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, etc. They are just as effective. The only drawback, if you like, is that they foam less. However, it's not the foam that cleans. It in no way reflects the effectiveness of the product.

Shower gel use, as any other human action, should be linked to protecting the planet. Therefore, choose a shower gel with non-polluting ingredients. After your shower, every active ingredient in your shower gel returns to nature. So make sure it's biodegradable. Natural, basic and slightly modified substances break down easily. For example, avoid products containing substances called “polymer” or “polyquaternium”, which are non-biodegradable. They are used as antistatic or film-forming agents in bath products, shampoos, and hair care products.