Let’s face it, you have no idea what the ingredients are in your shampoo or even how to pronounce some of them.

Sure, a lot of these ingredients make your hair smell fruity or feel silky smooth, but in the long run, they are doing some serious damage to your body and environment.

Sodium lauryl sulfate, that stuff that causes lather in your shampoo and other soapy products, “…does’t easily degrade and can remain in the environment long after it is rinsed down the shower drain,” according to the David Suzuki Foundation, an organization aimed at conserving our environment.

This troublesome chemical can also be contaminated with ethylene oxide, an organic compound that can potentially cause physical and health hazards, during the manufacturing process. The California Environmental Protection Agency has also classified ethylene oxide as a possible developmental toxin. Lesson of the day—stay away from sodium lauryl sulfate.

Also found in many of your store bought products are parabens. This chemical compound, used as a preservative, is found in cosmetics such as lotion and has links to the disruption of the hormonal function, according to Ecology Center, a non-profit organization that focuses on environmental impacts. Instead of buying the majority of your body products premade by companies who obviously don’t care about your health, you can make your own and add ingredients that you are comfortable with.

Homemade products are customizable, great for your hair, body, the environment and, best of all, they leave you smelling like a gentle summer breeze.
Check out the funky fresh recipes to get you started on a cleaner and healthier life style.