The Toxic Chemicals Hiding in Your Shower

Staying on toxic chemicals, I’m taking a dive to one of the most common products that could be in your shower. Shower gels, body washes.

You use it every day, but have you ever stopped to wonder what’s truly inside your body wash? The bottle promises a fresh scent and a clean feel, but a closer look at the ingredient list of most mainstream brands reveals a cocktail of harsh chemicals. At Luxe Body Worx, we believe that what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it. In this newsletter, we’re pulling back the curtain on the “dirty secret” of drugstore body washes, shining a light on the ingredients that could be doing your skin more harm than good.

The Water Trap: Why You’re Paying for the First Ingredient

Take a look at any mainstream body wash bottle and you’ll notice a common first ingredient: water (aqua). In the world of skincare, ingredients are listed in order of their concentration, from highest to lowest. This means that a significant portion of what you’re paying for is just water. This not only dilutes the active ingredients and reduces their efficacy but also requires formulators to add more preservatives to prevent bacterial growth in a water-rich environment. In essence, you’re buying a watered-down product full of cheap fillers, leaving less room for the nutrient-rich, beneficial ingredients your skin truly needs.

1. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) These powerful, low-cost surfactants are the workhorses behind the rich, bubbly lather you find in most mainstream body washes. While they’re highly effective at stripping away dirt and oil, they don’t differentiate between grime and your skin’s natural, protective barrier. By forcefully removing the lipids that keep your skin hydrated, they can lead to chronic dryness, irritation, and a disrupted skin barrier.
2. Fragrance (Parfum) That pleasant scent from your body wash is a trade secret. The term “fragrance” or “parfum” on an ingredient label is a catch-all for a proprietary, undisclosed mixture of up to a hundred different chemicals. This lack of transparency means companies can hide synthetic allergens and hormone-disrupting phthalates under a single, generic term. While they smell great, these chemical cocktails offer no benefit to your skin and can be a source of allergic reactions and irritation.
3. Synthetic Preservatives For a product to sit on a store shelf for years without spoiling, it needs potent synthetic preservatives. Brands like Dove and Axe rely on chemicals such as DMDM Hydantoin (a formaldehyde-releasing agent) and Methylisothiazolinone. These preservatives are highly effective at killing bacteria, but they can also be common contact allergens, causing rashes and dermatitis. They are simply not necessary when a product is made with fresh, high-quality ingredients in small batches.
4. Chelating Agents You might not have heard of Tetrasodium EDTA, but you’ve likely used it. Found in nearly every mass-market body wash, these chemicals bind to metal ions in water, helping the product lather more effectively and remain stable over time. While they may be low in toxicity for the user, they are a significant environmental concern. Their poor biodegradability and ability to mobilize heavy metals into our waterways make them a burden on our ecosystem.
5. Artificial Dyes & Colorants Many body washes have vibrant blues, greens, or reds that are completely unnecessary for their function. These petroleum-derived dyes are added for one reason only: to make the product look more appealing. They provide no benefit to your skin and can be a source of irritation and allergic reactions for those with sensitivities.
6. PEG Compounds PEG compounds, or polyethylene glycols, are petroleum-based ingredients that act as thickeners, solvents, and softeners. They help create the smooth, consistent texture you expect from a body wash. However, the manufacturing process can leave behind a toxic contaminant known as 1,4-dioxane, a known carcinogen. Furthermore, like other harsh chemicals on this list, they can strip the skin of its natural, nourishing oils.

Ingredients in a Luxe Body Worx Bar of Soap (INCI Names & Standard Names)

Organic Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Organic Olive Oil), Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut Oil), Elaeis Guineensis Oil (Palm Oil), Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa Butter) Seed Butter, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Organic Essential Oil (Eucalyptus), Ground Eucalyptus Globulus Leaves, Ground Parsley.

In Closing

The lesson here is simple: if it has no apparent benefit to your skin, it’s likely a cheap filler added for convenience or marketing. These common ingredients work against your skin’s health, breaking down your natural barriers and leaving it vulnerable to dryness and irritation. At Luxe Body Worx, we’ve proven you don’t need these chemicals to create an incredible product. We use simple, plant-based, and botanical ingredients that nourish and heal your skin. When you choose a handcrafted body product like a plant-based bar of soap, you are investing in your long-term skin health and well-being.