I bought a shower oil yesterday. I never heard of shower oil before, so although it's a cheap brand, I bought a bottle. I haven't used it in the shower yet, but I did wash my hands with it. It seemed like a light oil when I squirted some out of the bottle, and when I added some water and rubbed my hands together, it lightly foamed. It rinsed away easily and my hands feel softer than when washed with plain soap.

Of course, the hair-obsessed mind started to ponder using this as a gentle shampoo. It might work, but I'd like your thoughts on it - here are the ingredients:

GLYCINE SOJA: soybean (oil, I presume)
MIPA-LAURETH SULFATE
LAURETH-4: Non-ionic surfactant: used for gentle cleansing and for emulsion stabilization
RICINUS COMMUNIS: castor bean (oil)
COCAMIDE DEA: surfactant/emulsifier
PROPYLENE GLYCOL: humectant
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS: jojoba
PARFUM
PANTHENOL: humectant
TOCOPHERYL ACETATE: Vitamin E
BHT
CITRIC ACID

I never heard of mipa-laureth sulfate before. This is what I found about it:


Most soaps and shampoos contain harsh detergents that irritate the skin and cause dryness, rashes etc. PRODUCTS CONTAINING THESE DETERGENTS SHOULD NEVER BE USED ON SENSITIVE PARTS OF THE BODY. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) are the most common of these detergents, with SLS being the most dangerous. Many articles have been written about the effects of SLS and SLES, linking them with all manner of diseases, including cancer. While these allegations have not been conclusively proven, what is not in dispute is that they are very aggressive detergents indeed. SLS is routinely used in garages to clean car engines and garage floors. Both detergents are used both for their cheapness and their foaming ability, not for their beneficial effects on skin.

Freya cleansing products contain neither SLS nor SLES. Instead we use a gentle detergent, MIPA Laureth Sulphate, made from natural palm oil without the use of sodium hydroxide, which cleans by burning. MIPA Laureth Sulphate has been awarded the coveted 'Good Environmental Choice' award in Sweden.

Have you ever used products with this sulfate?

And, I can't find much on the BHT - do you know what it is?

Thanks :flowers:

Just the fact that it contains these ingredients, you should steer clear.

Propylene Glycol
This petroleum byproduct is a synthetic petrochemical used as a humectant. Also used in INDUSTRIAL ANTI-FREEZE.  This toxic ingredient causes many allergic reactions.  Research data states that through skin contact it can cause "liver abnormalities and kidney damage."

Cocamide DEA
Hormone-disrupting chemicals known to form cancer-causing nitrates and nitrosamines. Repeated skin applications of DEA-based detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancers.

I would try it! I think I have seen somehting similar but I haven't studied the ingredients yet. I have so many soaps&shower gels that I can't justify buying another one ;) But if this will work for you... :pinkgrin:

OK, i did a search on BHT and this is what Paula Begoun has to say about it:

BHT. Butylated hydroxytoluene, a synthetic, potent antioxidant that also has carcinogenic properties (Sources: Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, May 2002, pages 1203–1210; and Free Radical Biology and Medicine, February 2000, pages 330–336). See BHA.

BHA. Abbreviation for butylated hydroxyanisole, a synthetic, potent antioxidant (Sources: Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, May 2002, pages 3322–3327; and Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 1996, volume 20, number 2, pages 225–236), but also a suspected carcinogen (Source: Mutation Research and Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, July 2002, pages 123–133). The abbreviation BHA should not be confused with beta hydroxy acid (salicylic acid), which is an exfoliant. Salicylic acid is abbreviated in discussions as BHA, but it would never be shown that way on a cosmetic ingredient list.

So perhaps I wouldn't use it afterall...

Queenie, I think the BHT would be used as a preservative in that product, considering the tiny amount of it. (listed after fragrance) Personally I'm not at all worried about propylene glycol (my hair loves it) or cocamide dea.
however, castor oil is a very heavy oil, I think, (not to sure about soybean oil) and I have used products with castor oil and not liked them at all. my hair was very dry and crispy afterwards.

honestly I wouldnt use this as a shampoo, but you could always try it once and see if it works for you.

I could've sworn I posted here last night :suspect: Boards must be munching again.
Twitch, thanks for your advice about the castor oil! I've never used it on my hair before, just because it seems too heavy and sticky, I'm afraid I wouldn't get it out. I don't know for sure if it's oil and not extract or something, but it must be.
Anyway, thanks for your help guys! I'm having pretty good hair days lately and I won't be experimenting just yet :mrgreen: