What is a necessity when it comes to taking a shower? Many people will respond with soap or shower gels, as it is deemed as an essential need when trying to clean your body. Do we know what is in our shower gel products? Are we causing more harm than good?
The Hong Kong Consumer Council tested 60 bath products and gathered some alarming results. Many of the products were well known brands in Hong Kong.
- More than half of the products had the contaminant dioxane. Dioxane is irritating to the skin, eyes and respiratory system. Under normal use, it will not pose a health threat to consumers.
- 23 models detected the sensitizing preservatives MIT and CMIT. These common preservatives are found in many liquid care products, and have been linked to lung toxicity, allergic reactions and possible neurotoxicity.
- 7 samples detected the sensitizing free formaldehyde. Free formaldehyde can cause dermatitis if it reaches 0.02% to 0.03% in cosmetics. if the skin has a wound, a small amount may already cause a sensitive reaction on the skin.
Can we trust the products that are stocked on the shelves of markets? The short answer is that we must take our own action to become more educated on the matter and make better choices. For the benefit of your family, you can use our platform 1Source to analysis ingredients quickly and efficiently.
The following products are non-allergic shower gels that were carefully selected by the Consumer Council. Most of which are very consistent with our Potential Risk Index. Please check the ingredients of each product to determine whether your skin is compatible with it. To view a product’s ingredient list, simply click on the picture.
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There are many ingredients that the consumer needs to be aware of. The ones mentioned in the articles can be hazardous and should be avoided. Other ingredients that should be avoided:
- Fragrance – dermatitis and allergic contact
- Parabens – skin and respiratory irritation
- Phenoxyethanol – skin and eye irritation
- Methylisothiazolinone – a banned preservative
Credits:
https://www.consumer.org.hk
https://shopsmart.org.hk/shopsmart/index.php/Mobile/Shopping/viewReport?module=1&first_cate_id=20400&product_id=118&attribute_id=3&report_id=167