BY NATURE Handmade Soaps

A buyer of mine once texted me, “Does your soap contain SLS or SLES? What makes them lather?” and I replied, “Sorry, I do not know what they are. My soaps lather from the oil combinations I use.” But my buyer was happy with my reply. Then that night, I researched on those abbreviation, and voila! I actually knew what they were, just not their abbreviations, hehe! Silly me!

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), are both foaming agents commonly found in regular soaps, shampoos, shower gels, bath gels, liquid hand soaps, shaving creams and even toothpastes! SLS is a known powerful surfactant (wetting agent) and detergent which is used for industrial cleaning and, in lesser concentrations, for personal care products.

My handmade soaps produce a nice, creamy lather or simply bubble a lot because of the combination of oils that I use. Certain oils will produce big, explosive bubbles, while others will produce small bubbles but with a creamy lather. BY NATURE Handmade Soaps are a combination of both.

By the way, since I am here discussing about harmful lathering agents, I would like to share about this consumer product that DOES NOT have it.

I was in a constant search for the best and right toothpaste for our 2-year-old son. But every time I asked for one from known baby stores or department stores, they would always automatically refer me to the expensive brands, one of them costing more than P200.00 for such a small tube (I’m sure most of you mommies know what brand I’m talking about, and for those who are actually letting their kids use this brand, this one I’m about to share with you will be a much better, cheaper, AND practical alternative).

I discovered this children’s toothpaste from Babyland, Shoppesville in Greenhills. It’s called SansFluo Toothgel Cleanser. According to the saleslady, it’s locally made but the ingredients are from abroad. She gave me a brochure about it and I was delighted with what I read. Here are what it says:

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Useful Information for Proper Teeth and Gum Care for your Baby

Why do I need to take care of my teeth?

Tooth decay and gum disease are two major health problems with children. Untreated, they can interfere with a child’s eating, sleeping, and smiling habits. It is also responsible for children missing millions of school hours each year. (this must be exaggerated, though)

When do I start taking care of my teeth?
Many parents do not realize this but oral health should begin right after birth. Simply wipe your baby’s gum pads and tongue with damp cloth using clean water before bedtime. Once the teeth appear, use an infant toothbrush with a small amount of toothpaste.

Tip: Use a toothpaste that’s FLUORIDE-FREE so it’s safe to swallow.

Why are baby teeth important?

Baby teeth, although temporary, serve as guide for the growth of permanent teeth. Decay and early loss of baby teeth can cause improper spacing of permanent teeth–and costly orthodontic problems. Think about it.

Healthy baby teeth is needed for efficient chewing and biting needed in the digestion of food nutrients. They help your child speak clearly and properly. Nice looking little teeth enhance your child’s confidence. Missing teeth, decaying teeth, or bad breath on the other hand, can lead to your child getting teased by other children.

Can I pick up good traits from my parents?

Most certainly! Passing on good oral habits to your child is one of the important health lessons you can do. Once they can understand you, teach your children to brush their teeth and rinse their mouth after eating. Especially before bedtime.

Now this is important:
Teach them how a clean mouth feels. It’s not enough to simply brush for your child. They must realize that brushing is a life-long habit. Instilling diligence and self-discipline is difficult when the consequences of poor brushing are not immediately felt. Good habits last a lifetime.

How can my mom take care of my teeth?

Your child needs the right diet and nutrition for strong and decay-resistant teeth. That’s a diet rich in calcium, phosphorus and the proper level of fluoride. Give your child nutritious foods such as meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fresh fruits, breads, nuts, tofu, nuts and cereal, milk and other dairy products. Avoid sticky foods like caramels, gummies and hard candies.

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Tip: Do not let your child fall asleep with a bottle of milk or juice in your child’s mouth. Sugar in these liquids will form acids that cause tooth decay.

USE A NON-FLUORIDE TOOTHPASTE.

Babies and children neither rinse nor spit out fluoridated toothpaste. They tend to ingest too much fluoride. Now this can cause fluorosis, when undesirable white or brown spots appear on the enamel. Add to this the fluoride in fluoridated drinking water, infant formula, juices, grapes, tea and others.

What to do? Well, you can use SansFluo.

Why SansFluo? (now, this is my favorite part!)

SansFluo is a specially formulated toothpaste for infants and children from 0 to 6 years old. It’s fluoride-free and safe to swallow. It is non-foaming because it has no sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and contains no harmful ingredients. What’s more, it has aloe vera extract that helps keep your child’s gums healthy.

…So if it doesn’t have fluoride, what protects your child’s teeth?

Xylitol!

What is Xylitol?

Developed in Finland, Xylitol has been proven to be an effective alternative to fluoride, especially for young children. It is non-carcinogenic: Bacteria in the mouth cannot ferment Xylitol and produce acids. This effectively inhibits the development of caries, or toothdecay. Xylitol even encourages remineralisation of the enamel at the onset of tooth decay!

With Xylitol being approved in more than 35 countries, SansFluo stands as the best oral health care for your children.

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Ain’t this great information for us mommies? It takes time to get used to a toothpaste that doesn’t foam at all. But if it’s good for our kids, who needs foaming toothpastes?

(Main picture: Owner is holding a bubbly Sweet Sampaguita bar.)

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Copyright © 2000-2008 BY NATURE Handmade Soaps, All Rights Reserved.

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• Fuss About Essential Oils (Part III)
• Overload
• Fuss About Essential Oils (Part II)
• My Last for 2007
• My New Variants are Now Available!