Shampoo, Who Knew?

Oh Dove shampoo.  I have loved you for so many years.  You smell so good and make my hair feel so great.  But we are in an abusive relationship - you are hurting me more than helping me so I must let you go. As I was researching estrogen dominance, I found out that the shampoo I had been using all these years could have been contributing to the hormonal imbalance.  No way?  Yes way!

Most consumer shampoos contain parabens.  Parabens are used as a preservative in a lot of cosmetic products and pharmaceuticals.  They are probably in the shampoo you love, the toothpaste you use, and the make-up that makes you beautiful.  Parabens can mimic estrogen and while there is some debate about whether or not they are harmful, they are thought to contribute to estrogen dominance and breast cancer.  Since I am trying to eliminate all of the factors contributing to my high estrogen levels, it seems logical to get them out of my life as much as possible.  If you give up things containing parabens, you will likely have to give up many of the products you have loved for years.  I have decided that, for me, it is worth the sacrifice.  Now, I haven't gone through the house and found all of the evil parabens and thrown them in the trash but as I finish things up, I am replacing them with items that are better for my overall health.

The first thing I did was change shampoo and conditioner.  I went with a paraben-free, sulfate-free brand, Nature's Gate.  Burt's Bees and Say Yes to Carrots are other brands that are "safe" but I liked the scent and price of Nature's Gate so I went with that one for now.  It took me a few days to get used to it since it didn't lather in quite the same way as my old shampoo but it is acceptable.  It smells great and gets my hair clean and doesn't leave it feeling too greasy.  What more could a girl can ask for?  Of course, you will find that paraben-free brands are a little pricier than drug store brands but if you are used to paying for salon brands, then you probably won't pay much more for a paraben-free brand.

I was also excited to find out that select Wal-Marts will begin carrying a paraben-free, sulfate-free brand called Simply U.  You can actually request a free sample through that link.  Of course, my local Wal-Mart won't have it but there are a few stores in this area that will carry it plus it is available online.  It is very affordable too, which cheap me loves.